


Angels

by EnderWxx



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angels, Bath Sex, Blood, Cannibalism, Caught in the Act, Crossover, Demons, F/F, F/M, First Time, Food Porn, Humans, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Murder Family, Omega Verse, Omegaverse, Rough Sex, Self-Lubrication, Sex, Torture, Violence, Wing Kink, Wingfic, Wings, a cannibal giving a blowjob, dude a lot of supernatural stuff, nephilims, oil glands kink, slight crossover, surprise crossover, you can also tell me what you want to see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-08
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2017-12-14 08:29:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 140,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/834810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnderWxx/pseuds/EnderWxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were angels, there were demons and humans, and there were nephilims. Not every angel was good, not every demon was evil and, certainly, not all humans were what God planned. But then there were nephilims. They were something else. A nephilim was the offspring of an angel/human or a demon/human mating, as usual. These creatures were more powerful than their progenitors. Demon/angel offspring were rare, very special, and more powerful than the other nephilims. They had it all combined: a deadly grace, beauty and a very dangerous morality and ethics. They also had gifts, supernatural gifts or magic from the point of view of humanity. For them it was just their nature, like blinking for a human.</p><p> </p><p>(I stopped writing this fanfic because I couldn't find any ending to it so I'm sorry if this disappointed you but there's nothing I can do.<br/>I'd like to think you can give the ending you like and that's unfair from me but you can ask me about the ending I wanted it to have in the first place)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There were angels, there were demons and humans, and there were nephilims. Not every angel was good, not every demon was evil and, certainly, not all humans were what God planned. But then there were nephilims. They were something else. A nephilim was the offspring of an angel/human or a demon/human mating, as usual. These creatures were more powerful than their progenitors. Demon/angel offspring were rare, very special, and more powerful than the other nephilims. They had it all combined: a deadly grace, beauty and a very dangerous morality and ethics. They also had gifts, supernatural gifts or magic from the point of view of humanity. For them it was just their nature, like blinking for a human. 

Human race had no other choice than to accept them all openly, in their society. After all, they've been there all the time. Almost every myth or legend was denied or confirmed, for the sake of trust and peace. The most shocking thing, though was seeing male demons and angels pregnant. Apparently their Omegas got pregnant, regardless of the gender.   
Demons and angels were in this world before them and meant no harm, they just minded their business, deals, actual enterprises... humans accepted that too and they all learned to live with it. Radicals were few and not taken seriously.  
Demons and angels alike knew there was a God and so they told the world. They also told them no one really cares about who loves who, how people dresses, or what to eat in what day or not. Almost everything that was written was pure imagination and all religions unleashed Hell upon what was said. Religion was something related to radicals these days, for a century now. 

 

William Graham was an exceptional angel. His mothers -Anna and Evel- (they were alpha and omega) died in a terrible war between angels and demons, never revealed to humanity for fear of rejection. So, Anna's sister, Ariel, took him when he was still a baby, wrapped up in his own wings, to a human family, the Grahams. They were Anna's friends and trusted them. But Will was very special. He was born with a tainted grace, but still divine. Where angels couldn't really understand demon's and humans' natures, Will could. He was a soul-reader and he could slip in their core, even if it was residual in a span of 5-7 days, to know what they'd thought or done, even what they had felt. It was a terrible gift. Later, when he was older, he suspected a few drops of demon's blood were in his veins. He couldn't demonstrate it, though. Both his mothers were dead and he knew no one else. Ariel was missing, probably dead.  
Will's “friends” were mostly humans. He'd grown up knowing he was not like them, not like demons and not even like a proper angel. He loved the Grahams, but he missed his mothers' souls. He felt empty. Katz Beverly was a demon, and she was kind in her mischievous behavior. Then there was Dr. Alana Bloom. She was an angel, like him, and she dedicated her life to helping angels, humans and demons alike. She was a psychiatrist, well renowned, too. Alana had briefly known his mother before the Revelation in 1735. It was a date to celebrate.

Will used his gifts to help people. He had done it since he was a child and now, as an adult -for human standards, even though he was still very young- he worked for the FBI. He was tired, very tired. He could see through the residual plasma only supernatural beings could feel if trained to. He saw and felt them all the time. The FBI was not a good place to stay for long. Being an immortal creature did not help. People would tell him it was God's will, it was what he was supposed to do. But Will was tired and terrified. It was just too overwhelming to step on another people's soul, whether they're demons, humans or angels. A killer, murderer, rapist was the same in any race. There was only they all were the same: Alphas. Not mated Alphas were usually violent and unstable, mostly if they were young. Old Alphas with hate in their souls. Rejected Alphas... Betas were pacific and had calming souls. Will wished to be a Beta. Sadly, he was an Omega.  
Omegas were not discriminated. They were seen as fragile and shy, needy creatures. They were not. But they believed it because all Alphas wanted it to be. Things were changing. His mothers fought and died for the cause and they made a difference. A female, angel Omega, fighting besides her Alpha mate had encouraged other Omegas, demons, humans and angels alike, to find their voices, join their strength and fight for themselves. Alphas lacked in the angel race just the way Omegas lacked in demon race. Most humans were Betas.

Will was working for the FBI for 40 years when he met Jack Crawford a human Alpha married and mated to a Beta nephilim, Bella, half human and half angel. Nephilims rarely mated. Their souls were too complicated and if two souls didn't connect, a mating was just useless and repelling. Matings were forever. 

After 15 years under Jack's orders in Behavioral Science Unit, Will was beginning to feel so unstable and afraid of himself, he left it and started to give lectures to FBI trainees. He was still too damaged for anything else than driving from home to work and taking care of his dogs.   
He'd had two panic attacks in less than a month, almost a year after leaving Jack's division. He'd hurt a trainee's wing when she tried to calm him down. She was a young, angel Beta psychic, too kind to be in the FBI, but she tried hard.

Jack Crawford tried to talk to Alana so she could help Will's mind and soul. Jack also thought a mate would be good for him. Alana's and Will's souls were not made for each other. It just wouldn't happen. Alana's gray wings -barely visible for humans- stiffed close to her back in annoyance. She couldn't help her friend. She couldn't help him and that was sad. She was an strong, Alpha angel. But she couldn't do it. Will would never open his soul to her because she was too easy to read. She couldn't be professional when Will could tell everything she was feeling or thinking. She had to do something, though...

“I know someone. He's way better than me for this. And he's very special, too, like Will”

“What do you mean?”

“You know our dynamics, angel/human/demon mating, right?”, he nodded. “Well, Dr. Lecter's mother was an Omega angel/demon nephilim, and his father an angel/human Alpha. Their relationship, as themselves, was weird enough. So you'll understand how unique Dr. Hannibal Lecter is”

Jack had to think it twice to really understand. 

“He comprehends every nature because he's all of them” he said, nodding to himself.

“He'll understand Will, Jack”

 

Later that evening, Jack knocked on Will's door, dogs barking announcing his presence. Will's wings were visible in the dark and Jack looked at them. Will did not blush, he was used to Jack looking at them and he was a friend. Will's wings folded behind him to let Jack come inside. Will's dogs licking his hands. He loved dogs, but Bella couldn't stand them.  
Jack ogled his wings again. In the dark, were you human, you could see them light brown, almost golden. Will told him once that wings were from another dimension. They didn't belong to this world but they could be visible and tangible if the angel or demon wanted, though for not very long. When two people met, no if they were humans, they briefly showed their wings to each other. Their status visible. They were a mirror to their souls. Will's were long, fluffy not very thick and they got very wide in the tips. Darker on the top. They looked strong. Jack wouldn't tell Will, but he knew fluffy and wide wings meant he was very fertile. He was jealous. Bella wouldn't have babies and Will didn't want a mate and kids, and that angered Jack to no end.  
He cleared his throat and smiled at Will.

“I have a solution. You'll go see a psychiatrist”

“No fucking way”

“What a mouth you have to be an angel”

“I wouldn't need it if you stopped saying silly things”

“Much better”

“What-”

“Dr. Bloom recommended Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Apparently they're colleagues and old friends. He's quite a hybrid, you know? Don't look at his wings, though, Alana told me”

Will was still on the Dr. Bloom part. “Did you talk to Alana?”

“She's a good doctor and I want the best for you. She can't treat you but she says she knows someone better than her, and, honestly, Will? If she told me Lucifer was the best I'll try to get him. So, please, get your shit together, find the will to admit you're a little out of yourself and go say hi to Dr. Lecter”

Jack left with a mouth-and-wings-hanging Will. He knew he was a little out of himself but... well, he admit it. They were dealing with a tough one. He knew the killer murdered his victims with love and then he ate some of their organs. He had to have a daughter like his victims, a stable work... and Will was beginning to get too close to him. He'd felt hunger and loss and desperation. It was overwhelming and he wasn't ready for so much. The daughter meant everything to him. If the substitutes were not enough, suddenly, what would happen then? He didn't know why or how, but maybe something of her soul was attached to her father's and he kind of felt her too. Scared and... something else. Maybe she knew. Maybe she was scared of his father.

He needed to save her.

But he needed to be sane.

He needed Dr. Lecter.

 

Two day later...

 

Dr. Hannibal Lecter had an appointment. It was not usual. He was already attending a patient and had no wished to see another, but owed one to Alana Bloom. She was very well mannered, polite and kind to him and to everyone. So he said it was okay.   
That day he met agent Crawford. He might need him in the future, again. He'd had his amusement with Miriam Lass a few years ago and he might just have a little more fun. It was becoming dull without a good hunt.

So there he was, wings folding and unfolding, giddy with excitement. Alana had told him how special Will Graham was. He was a pure angel, and Omega. But he wouldn't just bare his neck and loosen his wings the moment he stepped over a powerful Alpha. Hannibal’s presence, scent and wings were difficult to avoid and a young, pure Omega would react to him, even with his... condition. He was unique, as many people said. His father was an angel/human nephilim and his mother a demon/angel nephilim. His mother was a rare hybrid and their relationship was not normal in the eyes of most people. He had two parts of angel, one of human and the other was demon.   
Hannibal lost both his exceptional parents when he and his sister where just kids. No one really knew what happened to him afterward but he lived and survived and he became a doctor, a surgeon, a professor and then a psychiatrist. He'd studied all races but specialized in nephilims. He knew the ways their souls sang when they were sad, scared, joyful and excited. He felt souls and used it to hunt. He was a predator, born to make the world a better place. He lived his life happily until it was boring and started the hunt.   
He needed one and maybe Jack would take him out of this waiting.

He was standing the moment he felt it. There was a sad soul. It was singing and it was the saddest song he'd ever heard. It was in pain, too, and there was anxiety and a lack of something very strong he couldn’t decipher. Then the knock and Hannibal hurried to open the door. There he was, Mr. Will Graham, almost as tall as him, eyes hidden behind useless glasses -only humans did need those-, and a mess instead of a head. A beautiful mess, though. And he smelled good. Sweet and hot and... he was really pure. A pure Omega. His heart was racing and he had to calm himself down a moment longer before saying anything. He looked at him and Will suddenly avoided his eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Graham, I'm Doctor Hannibal Lecter. Please, come inside” he said, stepping aside and carefully avoiding his wings. Hannibal could see them slightly before Will showed them. Once they were one in front of the other, Will opened his wings with a natural grace. They were almost golden, soft even to the sight and at least six feet long, and three in their widest. They were clean but they needed to be groomed more often. They looked light and strong.  
Maybe Hannibal had been staring at them for too long because they retreated to Will's back. Hannibal displayed his two sets of wings. Both sets were identical in color and shape, but one was on top of the other. They had individual roots and each set moved freely. The two first capes of feathers were black on top and dirty maroon. The wings of the smaller set were was long as Will's and the bigger were 9'2'', one foot in the widest. Hannibal saw wonder and amazement in Will's eyes, but he was not afraid or repelled by the idea of his “mutation”.

“You're quite a nephilim...” he said, still looking at them. Hannibal doubted he'd heard himself.

It was the first time in centuries someone looked at him without fear or disgust. 

For once his soul began to stir, to reach for another soul. It had never happened after Mischa's death. Will's soul was both rotten and pure in a way this dimension couldn't completely show. He needed to gain his affection and trust to ask see them back in their true home, Heaven. He'd been there twice: his birth and Micha's birth. They left Heaven to live in Earth because neither of them fully belonged to that place. Earth was free. Earth was his family's doom, and the only place a monster like him could live. 

It wasn't the moment to remember that. Will was here and he needed help, that was clear. Once his wings were invisible again (Hannibal couldn't hide them), Hannibal could see his poor, troubled soul, and he was alone. There was a familiar hole in his soul, just like his. Maybe, just maybe, those holes could be filled again. Their souls were already reaching out for each other, even though it was easy for Hannibal to control his spirit and body alike. He was a little scared. He'd been alone almost all his life.  
Will's eyes followed the “fingers” their souls made. He knew too. He had to calm him.

“Well, clearly we can stand each other. And our souls are compatible so you know you can trust me”, he said, motioning Will to the couch. He sat and waited for Hannibal to sit in front of him. 

“I... need to save her”

“The next victim. I've read the files Jack sent me.”

“She could be...”

“What do you mean?”

“He has a daughter. He's killing these girls so he doesn't have to kill her. They're just a substitution. He needs her but there will come a moment when they're not enough”

Will shivered.

“Will... are you feeling him right now?”, he knew Will's empathy could do that to him. It was fascinating.

“I feel... his hunger”

“He feeds on them?”

“Possibly. Maybe he feeds his daughter too, and I'm not sure if he has a mate, probably he's lonely and he only has her. But I'm not sure. And there's so much more I don't know” Will looked down at his hands, almost trembling now. He was lost, angry and frustrated. Yet he trusted him to tell him this. He was desperate to find someone whose mind could follow his. Hannibal could.

“Will, I've heard you can feel and see what others have felt and seen. Do you still remember?”

“Yes, every moment” he said, voice cracking.

“How does it make you feel now?”

Will frowned and thought about it for a few seconds. “I'll still feel him, be him, until I catch him and his daughter is safe”

Hannibal licked his lips and squeezed his hands. It was very difficult to be near this pure angel with his special mind and soul. 

“Will, tell me about you. When did you notice these special skills?” he changed the subject, trying to bring Will's mind back to him.

“I... I think I'm broken since I was born” his voice was sad now. Hannibal’s nature told him to hold him and tell him he was safe and alright with him. He could control it too.

“You're not broken, Will”

“How do you know?” Will snapped, fingers digging into his jeans, wings flapping. Hannibal remained calm.

“I can see and feel you too. Didn't you notice before? My... exceptional hybrid nature does wonders. I feel your soul, too”

Will seemed to be embarrassed and sorry. He wasn't like that. 

“I felt something odd from you. I thought it was only being a nephilim's nephilim. That's quite complicated”

“You're a pure angel” Hannibal stated with a sigh “and yet you think you're corrupted. Why, Will?”

Will laughed bitterly.

“Doctor Lecter, not once in my life I've felt like an angel”

“But you've never been with an angel long enough to identify with one. Why don't you tell me what being an angel feels like?”

“You're closer to an angel than be, doctor, how do you feel being an angel?”

Hannibal smirked. He definitely liked Will Graham. An exceptional Omega angel.

“I feel I can make a difference. I can help people too. I help them heal”

Will's eyes lost every trace of amusement and he blinked a couple of times, looking at his shoes.

“Will you help me heal? Will you, doctor, for the life of that girl?”

Hannibal leaned in closer, elbows on his knees, and nodded.

“I will help you heal for her sake and for yours, Will. To prove you're not a broken angel”

Will set his jaw. His feathers tensed -Hannibal could hear them. Will clearly didn't know what to feel for Hannibal. He'd never met someone like himself, it seemed. Will looked over Hannibal’s shoulder and saw the two set of wings carefully folded behind him. They were magnificent. And Hannibal showed him a peek of his soul, complicated and remarkable, far more interesting than any other he'd ever seen, Hannibal was certain. He wanted to make him interested in him.

 

Minutes later, when Will's car disappeared from the street, Hannibal let his soul roam free around him. He did not want to overwhelm and scare him. Will was his new hunt. But he would not eat him. He saw a chance of friendship, companionship and mating. He didn't have to be alone never again.

Will was not like an angel. It had nothing to do he hadn't been raised by his mothers -Alpha female angels were few. He was... special. He'd learned to look like a human, behaving like them.

Humans were good for one thing: pretending. They lie about their feelings, they hide under a mask all the evil they have inside. Twisted creatures.  
They were good to feed him. He ate them mocking their superfluous and useless lives, when they had no use for him.  
Hannibal had human blood. And he used very well his human side. He pretended and his secret was safe from Will. He was not ready, yet. Will was hunting common serial killers and he could mistake Hannibal for one. Hannibal was not a serial killer. That was just boring. He didn't kill following a plan, or a ritual. He was a cannibal, yes, bu he created art from mud. His art was his cooking skills, a way to demonstrate the possibility of beauty in gross creatures. Besides, he killed, if it was feasible, only rude people who offended him or someone he kind of cared for. He didn't care for anyone. No one was worthy of his feelings. 

Will Graham, Hannibal noticed, created another kind of art. His empathy was beautiful and he valued beauty. Therefore, Will was beauty itself. He could change it for his sake. Will already reacted to his nature. He wouldn't be afraid of him...

He'd have him, he decided, entering the kitchen. He took his recipes box and his cards folder. He wanted to show Will how much he cared for him.


	2. A/B/O dynamics and D/A/H/N graphics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a chapter, just some graphics for the sake of your minds.
> 
> It's how Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics mix with Angels/Demons/Humans/Nephilims races

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit, I'm taking this way too seriously...

Well these are some graphics for Demons' Humans' and Angels' status as Alphas, Betas or Omegas.

 

Demons have few Omegas. Omega demons are awesome, ok?Most humans are Beta wow what a surprise. What we know as Dom/Sub is just Alpha/Omega behaviour and, sadly, human male Omegas can't get pregnant. Yet. Hopefully.

Omega angels are not all obedient (Will) and submissve, they kick asses, they're strong and they follow Alpha's orders if they have their trust and love. 

 

And these are the Alpha/Beta/Omega rates for Nephilims. Pretty simple.

A Demon/Human hybrid has more possibilities to be born as an Alpha.A Human/Angel hybrid has more possibilities to be born as an Omega. (Hannibal's daddy was Alpha, though)

A Demon/Angel hybrid will be born as Omega or Alpha. It usually depends on the other mate. Usually, not always. (Hannibal's mom was Omega, for example)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any question, feel free to ask.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, they don't do the sex yet. Soon, I promise. But Will gets horny. And Hannibal makes him horny.
> 
> Also my princess Abigail is here, YAY

Will couldn't sleep. It wouldn't come, really. He was so tired and yet he was awake at 3 in the morning. His wings were a mess, they needed grooming and he was just too tired. The fridge was making noises again and Lily -his latest stray- was breathing too hard for a puppy. His dogs were usually quiet but tonight they were like angry elephants to Will's ears. And there was a wild animal outside digging holes. Perfect. He was trying to focus on a color to try to sleep. He counted 157 sheep before decided humans were idiots for doing that.   
He sighed and took a short shower, wings out of the bathtub, and then he got dressed. He took the car and drove for a little longer than one hour and a half. He got out and leaned on his car. He tried to think, to figure it out. The cannibal -he found out their serial killer was a cannibal- was too much for Will. He ate the girls because he loved them- NO, he loved his daughter and tried to see them as her. He knew if he ate her it would be over. No more daughter. The guilt would kill him. Good. But he wanted to save her.  
That was what kept Will awake for five days straight. He usually slept eight hours every three days. He was tired. He hadn't talked to Dr. Lecter since their first meeting. He wanted to forget him because Will liked Hannibal. And that would complicate things. He was just an angel, a damaged one. Orphan and a fucking mess. His life was crap and the only light was his dogs because they loved him no matter what. 

He didn't know why but talking to this... rare nephilim made him feel better. He couldn't stop thinking about him, either. Somehow his case and Hannibal were connected. Or maybe Dr. Lecter could help him making feel better. When he was with Lecter there were no angels, demons, humans or nephilims. There were two shy souls, trying not to scare one another.  
He wondered what made Hannibal hide his soul so hard. Will did it too, but neither of them could help it... their souls attracted. It was normal and... not normal. When two people met -angels, demons, nephilims or humans, though they didn't realize-, their souls immediately reached out to meet the other to see if they were friends, enemies, not wanted, or potential mates. It was strange for a nephilim's soul to find attraction in another soul, specially in a non-hybrid.   
Will needed to figure it out that too. 

That's why he was in front of Hannibal’s great house, at 5 in the morning, freezing. Suddenly, in one of the windows, a lamp shed light to the dark street. Will gaped when, less than a minute later, Hannibal’s silhouette was at the door.

“Please come in, Will” he said. Will laughed nervously and walked to the door, stood in front of Hannibal and smiled, this time he was thankful and no words were needed.

“How did you know-” he started asking once they were in the kitchen.

“I... could feel you”

“I'm sorry I woke you up”

Hannibal was making some tea and his back was to Will. He wore a very expensive silken robe.

“No need to apologize. I was having an extra sleep hour. Or trying. I couldn't sleep... How is the case going?”

Will sighed and buried his face into his hands. 

“We don't want the press knowing it but... he's a cannibal”

Hannibal turned around slowly. His maroon eyes found his and Will was breathless. He wouldn't admit it, though. There was something in those eyes. 

“A cannibal?” he brought the tea and offered one to Will. His fingers touched and Will gasped. He said the tea was hot and Hannibal let it go. 

“Yes. He eats them”

“Do you... feel it?”

“I am afraid. But I'm still myself. I don't feel him in that way, I feel his urges to kill, but cannibalism is not something I can feel. There's no way to feel it”

“How come?”

“Because my empathy doesn't work like that. I can feel or see what you've thought or saw in a very intense moment, like a violent act, but I can't feel or remember what you've eaten. Even if it's...”

“People” Hannibal finished for him. Will nodded.

They both drank silently until Hannibal asked again.

“Do you know what's his race?”

Will frowned.

“An angel”

 

They caught him two days later. Will caught him and he was dead. His human wife was murdered. Abigail, that's his daughter's name, had a gash on her throat, showing how much he loved her.  
It was sick. Will threw up after Hannibal left with the ambulance. He needed to go but he was so weak. Abigail was still between life and death. And that thrilled him. He felt sick. You're not Garret Jacob Hobbs. You're not Garret Jacob Hobbs. You're not Garret Jacob Hobbs. You're not Garret Jacob Hobbs.

He went home and took a long, hot shower, trying to get rid of all the blood. Angel's blood. That angel was corrupted. He'd seen a rotten soul. That soul was not like his. But Will's soul wasn't that far. Both were strong and unstable. Hobbs had Abigail. Will was alone... no Will had Hannibal.

 

The hospital was full of weak souls. Severed souls. It stank of death and illness. He tried to focus on only two souls. One was barely on this world, struggling for life and light. The other was holding light like a beacon. Will was amazed the moment he stepped inside the room. There they were. Abigail's small form, wings out of sight, light fading then coming back. Hannibal held her pale hand. Hannibal was asleep and his soul focused on saving her. Will sat on the other side of the bed, took off his jacket and held her other hand, carefully avoiding the IV. He trapped behind a tall, thick wall Garret Jacob Hobbs killing and dying, the noises his gun made, the blood everywhere... Now everything was clear and light and his soul reached out, spreading, asking Hannibal’s soul. Will kept his eyes open. He didn't want to miss a second of this. Hannibal’s lips quirked and joined both their souls with Abigail's one. They both knew it was intimate. It required a level of trust to join souls but they knew Abigail wouldn't make it if they didn't. Their secrets were safe. The healing process didn't need any information, just support. 

It was late in the night when Abigail's soul was safe. Not completely healed but safe. They separated their souls and looked at each other.

“You're tired, Will. Let me get you something to eat and then I'll drive you home. She won't be waking up any time soon. I asked them to call me if there's any change. I'll call you too”

Will considered this and then nodded. Hannibal smiled. 

 

Another case. Will needed Hannibal’s counsel, and his presence was reassuring. Their meetings were no longer only case-related. Will began to actually call him every day they didn't see each other. He noticed Hannibal was beginning to loosen the tight hold he had on his soul. Will felt a sad buzz he couldn't really read. Maybe Hannibal’s mind tried to block it for his own sake.

There was something more. Angels, just like demons and nephilims -though different- had mating cycles. They were called Rites by demons, they were seasons for nephilims and Heat or Fever for angels. It was different for each race. Demons had their Rites whenever they wanted family. Nephilims had then shortly after meeting their mate and angels were the same -not in case of Demon/angel nephilims, those were like their mates.  
Humans were the only ones to get pregnant with no need of a heat. 

Will was close to his heat. He'd met his mate and his future mate knew it too...

“Will, would you like to come with me to the opera next Sunday?” Hannibal said when they were finally alone, walking out of a crime scene. Will was thinking of Abigail and didn't catch it at first.

“What?”

Hannibal smiled but seemed uncomfortable.

“I asked you to come with me to the opera next Sunday. Philippe Jaroussky is one of my favorites. We can have dinner later. I want to try a new recipe”

Will blinked and smiled shyly. “Is that a date, doctor Lecter?”

“I didn't mean t-”

“Yes, I'd like to go to the opera with you”

He half smiled, relieved and put on his scarf and gloves. “Then it's settled. I'll pick you up at five. It's one hour from your house”

“Okay...”

So, that's how Will Graham, probably the purest angel in creation, ended having a date with the weirdest nephilim.

Two days later, Will was called by Crawford and dragged out of his class in the middle of a lecture. Abigail was awake and Hannibal had called him but his phone was out.

He drove as fast as he could without killing anyone or himself. He didn't know what to do when he got there, but he needed to be sure she was alright. He didn't wait for Crawford to say another word, he just ran. His soul was trying to feel her but they were too far apart.  
Finally, when he was two floors from her he felt them -Hannibal was there too. And... Alana? The moment he turned a corner he face to face with her. Her wings were visible and she was angry. Very angry. Frowning and with her arms crossed, she looked like a very angry mom.

He stopped right there.

“What do you think you're doing?”

“I-... well, Hannibal called” Will tried to looked calm, but he wanted to see Abigail, to make sure she was okay. She wouldn't but she was alive. And Hannibal had helped. He wanted to thank him too.

“You're not going in there, Will. She's lived a very painful experience and you killed her father in front of her. Yes, he tried to kill her but, how do you think she'll see you?”

“Ummm like a hero?”

“I'm not joking, Will” she sighed and uncrossed her arms. Her wings were no longer tense and her gray feathers reflected the lights of the corridor. Her mind was troubled. He smiled lightly and squeezed her shoulder.

“I know, I'm sorry. I just want to see if she's okay. And Hannibal is inside too, right?” she nodded. “Well, how come he's allowed to be with her and I'm not?”

“Will... he... it's different. They're bonded now. He's her guardian”

“What?” 

The family bond was not unusual but the circumstances were. Besides, Will took part of the healing process to save her life a few days ago. It wasn't fair. He'd saved her too, but he wasn't ready for a bonding, how did Hannibal and Abigail bonded that fast?

“I want to talk to him”

“I'm here, Will” the door opened and Hannibal came out. His impressive wings always draw attention to Will even if it's against his wishes to look at them. They're distracting. Hannibal, seeing this, folded them behind him and raised an eyebrow.

“How is she? Does she remember?” he was getting anxious and then jammed his hands into his pockets just to them busy. He knew he couldn't do anything with his wings so he tried to hide them.

“She's resting, she's awake but tired. He remembers you, not me, so I talked to her and Will, she's strong” Hannibal smiles proudly. Will cracked a smile too and Alana cleared her throat. She was still angry.

“I advice you against it. She could-”

“Alana, please, I trust Hannibal if he says she's strong enough to see me” 

“Will...”

“Dr. Bloom”, said Hannibal “if anything happens I'll calm her down but she's more angry than scared, I can tell”

Alana sighed and held her hands up in surrender. She moved out of the way and let them both in. When Will was going to close the door, he saw the betrayal in her eyes and knew what he said to make her feel so bad. He'd apologize later.  
He turned around, feeling her soul, her beautiful soul. It was healed and had the trace of Hannibal’s soul in hers. Not a trace of his. He felt sad but he was happy for her.   
Her big, bright blue eyes pierces his and she recognized him immediately. She gave him a shy smile and looked at her hands in her lap.

“Thanks for saving me” she looked at both of them “and you too, Dr. Lecter”

“Hannibal” he corrected her, sitting in the same chair he used when they healed her.

She nodded and looked at Will again. She patted the bed for him to come closer. Will did it, no questions. He wanted to feel her soul. There she was, an innocent nephilim with a dark life. Her soul was pure but her mind was not. Will wanted to know why he acknowledged it as his own mind. He looked at Hannibal, watching her, taking care of her. Hannibal’s soul was like his, but his mind was like Abigail's. The future of these coincidences was too overwhelming to think about so Will came closer to her and, reluctantly, held her hand. She was cold and shivering. Hannibal retrieved a heavy blanket from a closet and covered her with it. A silent thanks in her eyes. For a second Will thought he could see her yellow and white wings. 

“Do you need something?” Will asked. His throat was dry.

“Ummm no, thanks. Just... I want to know why” she said, looking away.

“I had to. He was going to kill you” Will frowned and was retreating his hand when both her hands grabbed him tighter. She was shaking her head.

“No no no... I meant, why was he killing them? He told me, before you two came into my house, that he was killing them so he didn't have to kill me. Why?”

“I don't know, Abigail”

He felt powerless, as lost as her and frustrated. Yes, he'd catch him, he killed him but to know the cause, to motives... she was asking and she'd find the truth, someday, and that would hurt her. He wanted to protect her. He looked over to Hannibal and Will was surprised he was looking back at him. His maroon eyes were unsettling but he couldn't stop. Abigail's voice brought him back to reality.

“...and then he made me kill the deer”

“He took you with him?”

“Yes. Can we continue this for another day? I'd like to sleep” she brought up her arm to touch the bandage on her neck, thought it twice and folded her hands again. She was nervous.

Hannibal and Will nodded and, when Will was leaving, she called him.

“I felt you too, you know?” she gave him a weak smile, half asleep now “You and Hannibal are lonely. I could feel it. You two are so special you don't fit anywhere or with anyone. You're wrong, you know?”

And then she was dreaming of better days, soon to be nightmares. Will closed the door and leaned against it. Hannibal was there, he knew.

“It's Thursday” Will said.

“Yes, it is” 

“Tomorrow's our date”

“...Yes”

“I don't know if I'll be a good company”

“Are you angry because Abigail and I bonded, Will?”

Will opened his eyes and tried to read any feeling from Hannibal. He couldn't. He could try to read his soul, to force his way in. he didn't want to.

“Maybe?”

“Will, let me tell you something. You were so unstable your soul was lost to any bound you could have formed with anyone. Her soul chose me because I was thinking in cold, measuring every drop of blood that left her body, every ounce of life lost. You only wanted her to live. That, sometimes, is not enough.”

Will thought about it and nodded. He understood but he was still a little hurt.

“Come”, Hannibal commanded and then looked around. He found a room that was being cleared, no occupants, no nurses... perfect. Will followed him. He was intrigued and should have known he was going to be pressed against the door the moment it was closed.

He didn't, so he gasped the moment Hannibal’s hot body was on him. His face so close their breaths mixed and his eyes devouring his.

“What-”

“I want you to feel the bond. And I want you to feel better” Hannibal explained. 

“I doubt this is a good therapy”

“Oh, but it is not, Will” Hannibal’s hands caressed his sides. They didn't know that much for this but Will needed it. He knew then. He was so upset because he was alone and so was Hannibal but she didn't bond with him. He wanted to feel a bond, to have one, to feel loved. He was alone since his mothers died but he realized it now how much it hurt.

“Please” he didn't know what wanted, he just wanted Hannibal to know it. He closed his eyes and Hannibal’s lips grazed his. Then he pressed them together. His lips moved slowly, and Will responded as tenderly as Hannibal. One of his hands cupped his cheek and jaw. God, they're huge. 

Then he felt something. Hannibal’s soul was opening for him to feel. Will's soul reached for his, maybe to enthusiastically, but Hannibal let him anyways. It wasn't all of his soul but Will thanked him. Then he looked inside. The bond was firm, and that's why Abigail was so calmed. Hannibal kept her like that so she didn't have a bigger trauma. The bond was beautiful and Will wanted to stare at it and be part of it. He felt so lonely.

But he was definitely not alone now. From Hannibal’s lips his tongue peeked out and caressed his bottom lip. He gasped again and his heart jumped when he felt a hardness pressing into his hip. Oh God this means...

“I'm s-sorry I... it's late and y-you... umm my dogs a-and” Will, scared and shocked as he was, did the only thing he could in this case. So he ran.  
Realization hit him hard. It was clear, they were potential mates and the next step was a Heat. He was not entirely sure he was ready. Dates were only a facade, a human facade, and Hannibal had probably suggested one because he knew he'd grown up with humans. 

Still, one hour later, not being able to get out of his car, gripping the wheel with both his hands, Will knew he couldn't hide forever. It was childish. Well, Will Graham was not exactly an adult. Angels reached adulthood when two millenniums passed, and they were sexually mature when a potential mate -could be more than one- triggered a Heat. Will escaped because he was afraid. He'd never met a potential mate before and this meant Hannibal... He shivered again. The double-nephilim was so different from any other creature. But he was still a friend. He was so alone before meeting him. And now he'd ran away like a kid. Stupid Will... he was embarrassed and horny. So horny. He went out and let the dogs run free for a while, then took a long, hot shower and had the three quickest and most intensive orgasms he'd ever had.

Tomorrow, he said to himself, he'd apologize. He would not look into his eyes because the thought of him still left him hard until next day. And it was going to get worse...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, English is not my first language and I'm sorry if it doesn't make a lot of sense, but I know you're all very smart and you have a lot of nice ideas and kinky kinks I'd like to know.


	4. Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a real chapter, I'm just showing you their wings.  
> All of them for deviantart. I don't know the artists, I just searched "wings" and BAM here they are.

Will's Wings

Alana's wings

 

Abigail's wings

 

Hannibal's wings 

(there were other two colors, but this is awesome)

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the sex and more feelings. Not enough but close.
> 
> Also, be careful, nephilims... there's someone lurking in the shadows (not you Shia LaBeouf)

There he was. The little Omega, he was pretty. Small body, nice and wide hips. This one had been pregnant, not long ago. He'd take care of the little abomination later. He could smell the sweet essence of another Heat. The Omega wouldn't be with his mate when the Heat hit him. He'd make sure of it.

The little Omega put the grocery bags on the floor. No wings. Then it was demon/human nephilim. Our predator couldn't guide himself between the cars with only the sight of them. Startle him, then a blow to the head it was, then.

Wait. One moment. Let him take the groceries inside and hit him before he closes the trunk.   
Now. He jumped from between the two cars, two long strides. Behind the Omega. Hand gripping his hair and then hit his forehead. He was out. No fighting. No screaming. Not a sound but the blow in the head and his panting. He held the body against his, pressing his already hard dick to the backside of the Omega. Wait. Not here. Not now. His punishment will come later...

 

 

Alana was fuming. She waited outside the room where Abigail rested. Granted, Will and Dr. Lecter helped her heal and saved her, but she was still traumatized and she was under Dr. Lecter's influence to stay calm. Or maybe it was just his presence. 

Nothing to do, then. Still, she was angry. She spoke to her briefly before Dr. Lecter was there and the girl was just brilliant. Her wings barely appeared but she caught a glimpse of bright gold and white. She refused to show them because they were identical to his father's wings except for the size. Hers were longer but not as wide. It was a good sign to talk so early, though, so she knew Abigail was strong. Alana thought they shouldn't push her this soon. She was just a counselor, though.  
Actually, Dr. Lecter hurried to sign as Abigail's guardian the night they healed her.

About that... she blushed. She knew Will and Hannibal had to join their souls and then reach for hers. It was an intimate act and they did it in a haste to save her. Will did not really knew the meaning, because he wasn't raised by his mothers. Alana's Alpha instincts told her to protect Will from harm but Will's soul didn't accept hers. Nothing to do, then, and he wouldn't go for an affair. It wasn't Will.

Coming back from the cafeteria, she spotted Will's back. He was running. Rather fast. She looked at the direction he was running from and... surprise, doctor Lecter was coming out of a room, mouth lightly open and he was buttoning up his suit jacket. He seemed to feel her eyes on her and his dark, maroon eyes were on her. She swallowed, crossed her arms and, head high, advanced to where he stood. He smiled with one side of his mouth, but that smile never reached his eyes. Still, he was courteous.

 

“Dr. Bloom”, he greeted her.

 

“What's going on here?”, she said, head pointing Will's direction.

 

Hannibal looked over there and then back to her eyes.

 

“Will's first Heat is coming soon. Apparently I'm a suitable mate and I triggered it. If you excuse me-”

 

“No, wait, hold on. Heat? Suitable mate? You?” she didn't mean it that way. He was the rarest nephilim to ever walk the Earth and that might get on his nerves more than anyone could ever think. Alana was just angry.

 

He chuckled, amused.

 

“It's not that strange, Dr. Bloom”

 

“Yes it is. I mean, since I've known Will, he's never expressed any kind of attraction to anyone. I mean, physical attraction, and then you come up and he's scared and...” she furrowed her brow. “Did you try to take advantage on him?” she pointed an accusatory finger to his chest,

 

That made him laugh. “Oh no, dear. Will knows how to defend himself from unwanted attention. He's merely scared of the implications. I understand him. He's just so young... And without a proper guide into his nature's ways it won't be easy to-”

 

“I don't wanna know” she waved her hand in front of her face and looked around. Anywhere but his eyes.

 

“Is there something you want to say, Dr. Bloom? I am in a hurry and I have to come back tonight”

 

“Yes, just one thing”, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “You hurt him and I'll hunt you down. I'll make sure you spend the rest of your existence in Hell.

 

She said it and she meant it. He knew it. All trace of amusement slipped from his face in a second.

 

“Is that a threat?”

 

If it was, she was going to take her role as Will's guardian seriously. And she loved him. She was not in love, but she loved him because he was special and so innocent some times... he needed help. She was her knight in a shining armor and she'd come to rescue him from Lecter if she had to. Her friendship or comradeship with the doctor was over. 

 

“Indeed. He's very dear to me and-”

 

“You're an Alpha, are you, Dr. Bloom?” he asked, rearranging his handkerchief, not looking at her. His voice seemed far away. 

 

“Yes, I am” Hold your chin high, girl. You're an Alpha, after all.

 

“So am I. And Will's an Omega. And I think you don't have to be the brightest detective to know where this is going. I must tell you, Dr. Bloom, I didn't picture you as one of the competitive Alphas. Good day, doctor”

 

And with that, he left her open mouthed, hurt in her pride and a sting of an unknown feeling for her. Rage. She was angrier than before. 

 

 

Hannibal had a light smile on his face when he left the Hospital. He was smitten with Will's scent. His closeness was still heavy on his body and his soul ached, missing the extraordinary soul of Will Graham. The scene was fresh on his mind and, as he wanted to keep it that way, he opened the door to his mind palace. It was extremely large and there were empty rooms to fill. There was the first time he saw his little sister, Mischa. She was ugly as babies often were. There was the love he felt, too, the bonding. Mischa was still on his mind like a baby, a sweet and lovely baby, born to teach him how to love and then smash his trust and sense of right and wrong. He knew the little, innocent Hannibal was somewhere in his mind palace, locked in some dusty room. Were he to free him, Hannibal would collapse. Some nights he still woke up sweating, a dying scream never passed his lips and his hands had teared his expensive sheets more than once. 

He could avoid it, too, by locking Mischa up in a pretty room, with her copper bathtub and Mother and Nanny. He could forget her for a while, keep her there and safe from him, because he knew what a monster he was. He couldn't blame her but she was the cause his monster awakened. He wanted her back but it was just not possible, so he held her hand every time he entered his mind palace. Her clear face, big blue eyes guided him through the halls and stairs and gardens. 

She took him to an empty room and left him alone with Will's face looking at him. Will's lips on his and Will's body pressed to his.  
He'd only felt lust for one person. A human, FBI agent too, long time ago, when the FBI was still young and women were growing strong. She was the strongest of them all. And she died saving him. And she was another failure of his. Her death weighed on him like Mischa's. 

 

He'd keep Will safe, whatever the price. He needed to present himself as a mate. He needed to be less of a monster for Will. Just for him. He'd show him later when Will lov... But, would Will ever love a monster? Can a monster love? 

He suddenly was out of his mind palace. He was already at home, in front of the door. He took his keys and got inside. He let his wings free, tangible and heavy on his back and shoulders. He stretched them and went to the kitchen and cooked himself a quick dinner.

Hannibal’s hands worked mechanically with the food that night. His mind still around Will's soul and mind. He was exceptional. His body was made for him and Hannibal was a man not used to deny himself pleasures. Will, though, wasn't just a pleasure. He would be his mate. Their souls already ached for a bonding. So lonely creatures...

 

He had a plan, now. To make sure his feelings were mutual he had to court him the way his mother taught him. She used to say Father was so serious in the beginning of their relationship she wasn't sure he was her true mate. They spent almost a year keeping feelings from the other and their souls began to darken and fade from their bodies. They would die, until she said enough was enough. She told him, crying, how much she loved him, how much she wanted a family and how lonely she felt because he didn't love her back. Because their bonding was a joke of Creation, being both of them nephilims, never meant to share a soul, having two sides themselves. Then Father laughed and cried and held her and he said how much he loved her until his throat was raw.

The trip to the Hospital was to give Abigail some decent food he managed to slip with a nurse's help. She was still asleep so he came back home.

He went to sleep with the feeling of Will's hot body so close to him, his scent filling his nostrils and the sweet promise of his first Heat. And the sweeter promise of someone loving him.

 

Morning, and Hannibal smiled, packing his hot tupperwares in a bag. They could not reach that point. Will would break soon, being as unstable as he was. Hannibal would take care of him.

 

 

Will was sound asleep when Winston started to bark and growl at the door. His other friends were behind Winston, some growling low, others with their tails between their legs. Will's soft wings, still wrapped around him in a warm embrace, kept him in a false but very much needed feeling of safety. Will untangled them and, still foggy from sleep, didn't bother making them disappear. They were a mess but they matched their owner so it wasn't a big deal.

 

Their dogs usually behaved like this when a stranger came to Will's house, so he wasn't expecting the soul he felt at three steps from the door. He stopped right there, held his breath and forced himself to not to panic. 

 

“Will, it's me, doc-... Hannibal” 

 

He didn't know why, but he actually smiled and he relaxed enough to open the door, still little shaky.

 

“Hello, Will” the brightness of the outside made him close his eyes and then he realized he was in a complete darkness. He opened his eyes enough to awkwardly greet him and step aside to let him in. Some of his dogs barked at him and others went to his room. Winston stood stubbornly by his side the whole time. Will opened the curtains and sat in the table beside the window. Hannibal sat in front of him and put a bag on top.

 

“This is too awkward”, Will said, looking at his fingernails.

 

“It doesn't have to be awkward”

 

“You kissed me”

 

“And you kissed me back” Hannibal replied, leaning back on the chair.

 

“Well... you're very kissable” he blushed and Hannibal chuckled.

 

“You are, too. But then you left. I'm not the wolf, Will. You don't have to fear me”

 

Will deigned to look into his dark eyes. Red dots danced in the maroon sea. He was expressionless but calm. He didn't demand an answer. 

 

“I just thought of me being in Heat. The most vulnerable position for an Omega, a lonely Omega. Lost and needy and no one there to tell me I'm not alone. Hannibal, I... I'm too complicated” he said looking away, in a soft, sad voice. He was lonely and Hannibal could give his attentions and companionship to someone who could actually feel it right on him or herself. We accept the love we think we deserve.

 

“I just triggered a natural reaction to your body. I'm an Alpha, Will, and what I did affects me too. I did what I did because I felt it was right. I was wrong?”

 

“I don't... know. What's in the bag?” the smell finally reached his nose.

 

“Ah, it's an omelet and sausages. It's not much, but I couldn't think of anything fancier for you”

 

Will laughed and took a bite. It was delicious. “Fancy doesn't suit me”

 

They ate the rest of the breakfast in silence. The dogs gathered around them and fell asleep within minutes. Winton's head resting on Will's thigh. Once they were finished Hannibal took his tupperwares and put them back in the bag.

 

“Let me kiss you again”

 

Will's heart jumped and he didn't know why. He wasn't anxious. He wasn't afraid. He set his jaw and nodded.

 

“You look like you're going to war, Will” Hannibal stood up and held his hand in front of him. Will took it and he was dragged to the nearest wall. Will's wings in the way.

 

“What is it with you and your need to see me trapped?” he said half joking.

 

Hannibal was at a good distance from him. His hands traveling up and down his arms, soothing him. But there was something else. He needed to know his soul wanted him. Will already knew, from the first time they met, but he needed to be sure. So he released his soul and Hannibal looked at him. Hannibal nodded lightly and let his soul touch Will's, while his hand caressed Will's cheek. His hand was big enough to cover half of his face, and his long, elegant fingers made his skin tingle. The rush of energy he felt from his soul was a bond that wanted to be formed.

 

“When my Heat comes...” his voice was more like a growl so he cleared his throat. “When my Heat comes the bond...”

 

“No, the bond will set when we're prepared. Maybe before your Heat, Will” Hannibal leaned in and Will met his lips halfway. This time, Will's tongue appeared first and demanded permission to enter his mouth. He was inexperienced but he kissed with feeling. He knew it wasn't perfect. Hannibal was a good kisser.

 

Will's hands were shaky when he linked them behind Hannibal’s neck, fingers running through his hair. Will brought him closer and pressed him to himself, like wanting to own him. In that moment he remembered he was only in underwear and an old gray shirt. Will was getting hard and he moaned into the kiss. Then, embarrassed, he broke the kiss. He didn't know how much he needed the air. Hannibal didn't look any better. 

 

Hannibal slipped a hand between them, eyes asking for permission, and stroked his cock, knees almost giving out. Chest to chest, Will leaned his head on Hannibal’s shoulder and swung a leg over the larger man's waist. He didn't know how he ended biting into his shoulder, muffled moans and grunts as the only noise in the room. Will whimpered when Hannibal thrust into him and he felt his hardness. 

Will almost cried when Hannibal stopped touching him and held his face up until his eyes opened. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. Hannibal kissed them and leaned back.

 

“Take off your clothes”

 

This was serious. He wanted to fuck him right there. It wasn't even their first date. More like a pre-first date. And Will obeyed, because Hannibal wanted him. He was wanted. Even if it was only for sex, he was wanted...

Sensing Will's thoughts through his soul, Hannibal explained, taking Will's face between his hands, “I want you. You need to feel wanted so much you think I'm doing this selfishly. Take off my clothes first, if you feel better”

Will's wings folded and then disappeared. He hadn't seen Hannibal’s wings today and he dearly missed them. Once Will made sure Hannibal wasn't lying, he nodded and ran his hands over his attire, feeling the softness of the cashmere and the expensive suit. He undid the tie first and let it fall to the floor. He felt Hannibal’s eyes on him every second of it. The suit jacked, the vest and the shirt were next. He wore an underwear shirt, too. Of course. He chuckled and unbuckled his belt, freeing the underwear and throwing it over the chair.

“Touch me, Will. I don't bite” and then a full smile, teeth and all. They looked like they could hurt... and that send another hot wave over him.

 

“Maybe I want you to bite me” he said, shyly. He couldn't try a flirty tone, but Hannibal laughed deep in his chest. And then he saw the bite in his shoulder. “I'm sorry”

 

“I liked it. It's okay to bite. You were holding on to me. It made me feel like you need me”

 

“I need you, so let me finish undressing you and then you can... you can have me”

 

“Will, I...” he sighed. “I'm not doing this for sex. We're having sex because we want to, not because one of us does. Do you understand? Do you really want me, or you want to wait? No, not for the Heat. Whenever you're ready”

 

“I am ready” 

 

Will realized he did want Hannibal. If sex was good, their relationship would grow stronger and it would take them one step closer to a bond. Will wanted to feel loved. Maybe once their bond was formed, they could try to form the other bond with Abigail and Will. He really wanted to protect her.

 

“Good. Then take off your clothes and let's go to your bedroom, if it's okay”

 

Will divested on the way, leaving Hannibal behind to enjoy the view of his ass and the faint light of his brown wings. Hannibal walked behind him and pinned him to the bed. They kissed again and Hannibal used the distraction to open his legs with his own and gripped one thigh just to hear him whine. His hand moved up and found Will's hole, already damp outside. Will gasped in surprise. He didn't know this happened out of the Heats.  
Maybe Hannibal triggered that too. He hummed happily when Hannibal’s finger massaged around it and finally, when it was wet enough, the doctor slipped the finger inside and Will's body almost sucked at it. Will broke the kiss and bared his throat in an instinctive act of submission. Hannibal moaned when he licked from neck to chin. He added another finger and nibbled at Will's neck. Will whimpered, one hand clutching the sheets and the other holding Hannibal’s shoulder.

 

“Please...” he didn't know how he found his voice but Hannibal heard and didn't deny his wish. 

 

Hannibal rolled them over and Will sat straddling Hannibal’s hips. This position embarrassed him more than he could say. His cock was obscenely hard and red and he felt Hannibal’s cock behind him. He blushed but Hannibal laughed and held his hand. With the other he grabbed his hip and told him “Take my cock and sink in it. I'll guide you.”

Will nodded and reached back, stroking that hard and unfamiliar member. He'd have time to explore and play with it. Now he just wanted to come and he wanted Hannibal’s come inside him. So he pulled himself up, aligned Hannibal’s thick cock to his entrance and slowly sat on it. Every inch was Hell and Heaven at the same time. The stretch was new and the burning made him want to run away from the pain. But Hannibal’s eyes never left his and his hand was surprisingly soft. When he was fully seated on top of him, he understood what Hannibal meant before. He was vulnerable too. And that encouraged Will. He experimented by pulling up and down a few times, and then he carefully leaned in for a tender kiss. Hannibal’s hands took both his buttocks and dug his fingernails on them, making him gasp. Will stood up, back straight and he let himself be guided by Hannibal’s sweet hands and deep voice.

Will was bouncing, trying to find again his prostate, when Hannibal rolled them over again, his powerful thighs pining him to bed, back to the mattress. Will just moaned when he changed the angle and begun to meet his thrusts. There was a slick liquid coming out of Will's hole when Hannibal’s touched his sweet spot. 

 

“Wait...” Hannibal said, whispering. Will didn't understand until Hannibal was suddenly out of him, the friction almost enough to make him come.

 

“What-?” Hannibal shushed him and kissed his way down from nipples, navel and hip until he licked Will's cock. He almost screamed when Hannibal swallowed half of his cock, jammed three fingers inside him to rub at his prostate and sucked hard. Will saw white and little bright stars the moment he came. But Hannibal kept sucking until Will sobbed. “Now you”

 

 

Hannibal smiled like a hungry wolf and, even though Will was already sore, he penetrated him once more. Will grunted and Hannibal bit down on Will's neck until he came, five more thrusts later. His hot semen leaked out of Will when they moved on their sides, oblivious to the mess.   
Hannibal’s double wings wrapped Will's tired body and secured him from the world. Will felt his heart slow down and his soul tangle up with Hannibal’s. Their souls felt complete. The bond started to sew its strings while they dreamed.

 

One hour and a half, Jack Crawford called.

 

 

Jack Crawford was pacing in his office. He was looking at the pictures on the wall. Their dead eyes told him nothing except they were dead. Their lives wasted. Four men, three women. They didn't know each other. They weren't even neighbors. No magazines subscriptions. All of them nephilims. All of them Omegas. All of them mated to Angels. He had a serial killer. The last one was found this morning.

The last victim, Renner -some nephilims and angels decided not to take surnames- was beaten, raped and tortured to death. His wings, like the others, were snapped and twisted. Some injuries postmortem, thankfully. The killer was merciless, depraved and very angry. He took his actions as some kind of vendetta, a few agents said. Beverly Katz snorted at it and Zeller rolled his eyes. Jack was out of ideas.

He sighed, hit the wall and sighed again. He didn't want to...

“I need Will Graham”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, somethin you want to add or ask, you're free to speak.
> 
> I'm sorry if you've left a message with a kink you don't see yet, there are more chapters, don't worry!
> 
> (I'm not very happy with this sex scene, by the way, maybe because I wrote the whole chapter in about three hours straight)
> 
> Uhhhm that's it, I think. I love you all


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, some talking. Some Abigail and the bond. Some Freddie Lounds AND be careful with her mate's boss -shhh I didn't say anything
> 
> Part one of this episode. I'll be posting part two later, don't worry. There'll be smut.

Part 1.

A new case. A new serial killer. Would Will be able to stay away from this one's mind after they catch him? He wasn't sure. No one was.   
Will stood behind the car. It was a family car, big and ugly. This victim, Seph, was a young Omega nephilim, mated to an angel, like the other victims. Jack had told him before. He didn't tell him how bloody the victim was.

 

It was time to enter the mind and soul of the killer. Will closed his eyes and, with his soul, gave a squeeze to Hannibal’s soul, who was talking to Jack. He felt his eyes on him but then he saw black and a bright pendulum wiped everything out of the way. The blood disappeared, the voices died and the body of Renner had his clothes on and was filling up the car with groceries. Will looked around and, finding the perfect place to hide, he imagined himself there, so he walked over there, right before the fountain.  
There. The soul had been there. There was a thrumming of energy. It sang to him. There was rage and hate. The killer was a male Alpha angel. He felt the powerful smell still lingering in the air. Will was on his skin now. 

 

I've killed before. You're not special. You're just an accident. You're a nephilim. Something that shouldn't exist. You're not made by the hand of God and you should die. The others were like you, corrupting the lines of heritage of angels. Demons, nephilims, humans... you're all the same. You're here by accident. It's a sacred duty to clean this world from you. Reproduce in Hell, reproduce in mass in the Earth. Don't throw dirt to angels. We're better than you. So I hunt you down. I hunt every nephilim I find mated to a pure angel because it's a sacred duty. My sacred duty. But I could torture the angel for being a sinner and kill you for being an abomination, couldn’t I? But you're all Omegas and if your filthy bodies tell you to open your legs for the first Alpha you find... what can you do? You're all dirty mixed Omegas and I do my job happily. Sacred. Duty.

I stay behind you and attack you quickly. I leave you out in a few seconds and take you to my car. It's not that far. See? You could have open your dirty legs if you smelled me before your mate. Dirty Omegas...  
I drive, excited, to my house. First I tie you up. I don't want to strip you off your clothes. Not yet. I want you to feel humiliated. I start to beat you until you wake up. I tell you my master plan and you start screaming because you've heard of me on the news. You cry and you cry and I laugh because there's no one here and the bond won't tell your mate where you are. I keep beating you until you pass out. But I want you to wake up here's the fun... I lower you on the floor and keep you on all fours. It's time to really begin the fun.

 

Will jerks and falls to his knees, wings stretching violently. They're fully tangible and could hurt someone. Zeller tries to get close to him but Crawford places a big hand on his shoulder. Hannibal stands there, before Will, in less than two seconds. One knee on the floor, he talks calmly to Will. The team is too far to hear except Beverly, who's trying not to blush. Her gray foggy eyes -demons have no pupils- are trying to find a better place to look at. Crawford knows she's not looking at him either. You know when a demon looks at you even if they have no pupils or iris. She can hear. And what she hears is embarrassing. So Jack wonder what the hell is the doctor saying to embarrass Katz. 

He stares at them and sees Will's wings almost touching the floor, hands shaking and Hannibal’s hand on his cheek. Will seems calm... for now.  
He gets closer to him and asks what happened.

 

“What he feels from the serial killer is too much, Jack. He's had to torture and-”

 

“Rape the victim” Jack finished. Hannibal nodded.

 

“He's a male Alpha angel who kills nephilims, humans or demons mated to pure angels. We have a dangerous radical here, agent Crawford. Very violent and I advice you to let Will rest for a while. It's been but a few days since he killed Garret Jacob Hobbs and he's still recovering from the trauma. Please, try to find evidence without further hurting him mentally” Hannibal was deadly calm and Crawford had to remember he wasn't human. Finally he nodded and Hannibal walked over Will, who was talking to Beverly. 

 

“Can you leave us one moment, please?” she said.

 

Will nodded and Hannibal went over his car.

 

Now that Will and Beverly were alone, she asked “You came here together?”

 

“Yes” Will looked away, cheeks burning.

 

“It's 6 am. And you've been here for an hour now. Another hour to come here... Jesus fucking Christ, you've slept together!”

 

“Can you scream it louder? I think the dead one didn't hear you”

 

“Sorry, sorry” she was laughing, hands covering her eyes. Then she got serious and her eyes, gray as dark clouds and moving as such, looked into his. You knew when a demon looked at you. “He hurts you and I make a pillow with his wings. And hang him upside down. And use him as a piñata”

 

Will laughed and relaxed. She was being protective and that meant she cared for him. Suddenly there were people around him trying to make him feel better. He looked over Hannibal, inside his car now, and noticed he was smiling. He heard.

 

“I need to go”

 

“Yeah you better sleep a few hours”

 

“I know, I'm too tired to work here”

 

“Wonder why...”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Okay, baby angel. No more teasing. I'll tell Crawford what you've told me and try to catch this bastard. By the way, Jack won't be happy that you and your psychiatrist...”

 

“Leave that to me. I know how to handle Crawford”

 

“Okay...”

 

“See you”

 

Walking away from the most bizarre conversation ever, he was feeling really tired. He'd slept a few hours this week and that wasn't enough, not even for an angel. And using his gift was tiring to a higher level than expected.   
He got into the car and Hannibal started the engine. They were on their way to Will's home.

 

“Rest. I'll wake you up when we're there” he tentatively placed a hand on Will's knee. Will welcomed it and his head fell on the window.

 

He couldn't sleep on the car but had time to think. He left the body and the crime scene behind and much pleasant memories flooded his mind. The kisses they shared were still shy and Hannibal restrained himself too much. He barely saw his wings or felt his soul until Will was dead tired. Will wanted to run his hands through Hannibal’s beautiful wings while making love. Will smiled. They made love. He knew Hannibal had something dark to hide. He could feel it, but oh, he could make love. Will, being an Omega, had grown up being told Alphas took Omegas on their first Heat and it was always so savage and desperate and frenzy.   
But Hannibal’s hands were gentle and even though they both had bite marks, they'd both enjoyed it greatly. Will didn't know what would happen when his first Heat came. If he couldn't control himself or Hannibal couldn't restrain himself as well as last night. He'd ask him later to try harder, to talk about it and make him see Will was not porcelain. 

 

“Will” Hannibal’s warm hands shook him gently and Will realized he was asleep. Will bit his lip. “Do you want to tell me something, Will?”

 

“Yes, but... let's talk inside”

 

Will's dogs greeted them barking, moving their tails and jumping on Will. He laughed and talked to them like they were babies. Hannibal chuckled and went to the kitchen.

 

“Do you want breakfast?”

 

“Are you going to cook for me?”

 

“Well, you must be hungry. Last night...”

 

“About last night” voice low, head down, Will scratched Winston's ear.

 

Hannibal stopped and turned around slowly. He frowned.

 

“Do you want me to go, Will?” his eyes, for once, lost all trace of brightness. Red seemed to turn brown. Will understood then and walked over him until they were close enough to kiss. Hannibal didn't move but he was still tense. 

 

“I didn't mean it like that” he looked up and found his eyes, sad, trying not to look at him for once. Will brought up a hand and cupped his cheek until Hannibal leaned into it. It was weird to see his stoic doctor -and lover now- make such intimate gesture. Will kissed his lips and took his hand, leading him to the kitchen table. They both sat, one in front of the other. 

 

“Hannibal, do you believe me? I didn't mean it like that. I don't regret it and I don't want you to go. Do you believe me?”

 

Maybe it was because Will was selfish. Because he'd been alone so many years. But he didn't want Hannibal out of his house. He felt safe and loved and the few hours of that security he felt were not enough. If Will said something stupid and threw it all away he wouldn't forgive himself.  
He let his wings in sight and touch. To embrace someone with your wings meant the same than a hug, and much more. Because angels only let family touch their wings. Maybe Hannibal meant more to Will than he was willing to admit. He was the first to understand him and not call him freak. 

 

Hannibal looked at him, thoughtful. He measured his words and Will's expressions. He wouldn't violate Will's intimacy by reaching out for his soul, now. That would be an interrogatory. So Hannibal stretched his arm on the table, the palm of his hand up and waited for Will to take it. Will didn't doubt for a moment and when he looked up, Hannibal was smiling. Not a broad smile, but his lips made him look happy so Will was happy. 

 

“I just wanted to say that...” here comes the embarrassing part. “Ummm. Last night was amazing a-and ummm you were very gentle and I know you restraint yourself. Not only last night. You always fight to show people what you want when you want”

 

Now it was time for Will to feel a little sad.

 

“Go on, Will”

 

“I mean. Would it be that bad if you let me see a part of you no one has seen? If you can't, for something you're not ready to tell, I won't push you. I just want to say ummm I'm not the one to judge you. I hide a few things myself. Everyone has secrets. But you have so many that I don't know what part of you is you or the one you let me see. What we did last night means a lot for me because I've looked into your soul briefly and what I've seen is brilliant and... so much like me”

 

“So much like you?”

 

“I don't mean brilliant. I mean lonely. Last night wasn't about pity, I have a lot myself. It was hope. There's hope for both of us to heal from whatever harm we have inside our souls. Maybe two broken souls can find a way to heal each other”

 

Hannibal nodded once and looked around. “Now that everything's clear, I shall cook some breakfast” and then he stood up and started to look into every drawer in the kitchen. Will had to laugh.

 

“I'll take a shower”

 

“Ummm mmm”

 

One thing was for sure. Once Hannibal is in a kitchen, nothing else matters.

 

“If I walked around naked you wouldn't notice, right?”

 

“You'll be my main course, Will”

 

Hannibal turned around and pulled him into a kiss. This time, he meant it.

 

 

Abigail spent her hours between dozing for the morphine and being fed with flavorless soups. Her nights were restless, her dreams were blurry and her neck hurt whatever direction she faced. She was desperate to walk and draw and talk to her friends. Only, she hadn't friends anymore. Everyone was so afraid of her now. They all thought she murdered the girls his father hunted. It was not exactly like that. 

 

Abigail had accepted long ago she couldn't escape his father's wishes. He wished her to talk to that girl, she was her new friend one hour later. He wished her to find out where she lived? Abigail had a girl's night at her place next weekend. He wished to kill her that night? Abigail brought her to a lonely place.  
It was the price to stay alive. She couldn't run away. Her mother would be dead. Now she was dead and Abigail couldn't have her revenge. She could do it. She could kill her father now for making her responsible of all those girls' deaths. And for her mother's death.

 

Abigail didn't cry. She was strong and she wouldn't let anyone see her cry. If that meant everyone thought her guilty then she was okay, because nothing she could do or say would change anything.

 

But at least she wasn't alone. Doctor Hannibal Lecter and Special Agent Will Graham, her saviors. Will killed her father, that she remembered. But later, when she was dying in the hospital, she felt like a string pulling her out of darkness. She wasn't dying anymore. Then another string and she was almost conscious. When she woke up, a few hours later, there was a man, older than her father, beside her.

 

He was asleep and she could sense he was like her, a nephilim. But his wings were nowhere to be seen. Usually, when a winged being slept, their wings were there, protecting him or her like a cocoon. Her own wings were not strong enough to appear, due to the drugs to keep her neck from hurting too much. But his wings were not there.

 

Then she felt it, something that wasn't there before. It was like a warm bubble in her chest. If she closed her eyes, the bubble was full of ethereal color that went from brown to magenta, and made her feel secure and balanced. It was a bond. She tugged at it experimentally and suddenly, it grew twice it's size and the man beside her was awake. She gasped and was about to freak out but the bond helped her recognize him. 

 

“You saved me”

 

He nodded and he told her all what happened to her. She asked about her father and he didn't lie to her. He was doctor Hannibal Lecter and he and Will pulled her out of Death's fingers. As a result, Hannibal had formed a bond with her. A bond Will didn't shared, yet. 

 

She was grateful but wary, and then, through the bond, he made her feel what he felt towards Will. She felt the loneliness in Hannibal’s old heart. The sadness and rage of something old from his past and the light of hope for his future if Will responded to his feelings.  
She fell asleep wishing Will, the killer of her father and her savior, could see how much Hannibal needed him. 

 

Later, that day or a week later, for all she knew, she met Will Graham. Hannibal had told her about his amazing gift and she felt something when he came closer. He was using it in her to feel her soul. She had to play her part. The part where she was the innocent oblivious girl whose father killed and ate his victims. Before she could say anything else, she was feeling too tired. But, before Will left, she told him something that could helped them get together.

 

“You and Hannibal are lonely. I could feel it. You two are so special you don't fit anywhere or with anyone. You're wrong, you know?”

 

And she hoped her magic worked. But she fell asleep before knowing.

 

 

When Abigail woke up she was hungry. She was going to call for a nurse when she noticed a red haired woman, in expensive clothes, sitting in the same chair Hannibal used. It felt wrong.  
The woman was a demon. Her black eyes with dark gray smoke dancing inside were the first thing you see of a demon. But, even though there's no pupils, you know they look at you.   
She was smiling, a practiced smile, no doubt.

 

“Hello Abigail”

 

“Are you even allowed to be here?”

 

“Nope”

 

“I guessed”

 

“My name's Freddie Lounds, and I write for TattleCrime. I want to write your story, because those stupids from the FBI only get to scare and confuse you”

 

“My story is what I tell them, and you can pick anything you like from there”

 

“I like you. You're very brave” she changed her tone for a sweet voice, trying to make her feel safe. She didn't trust her fake smile.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“I told you. Your story in the TattleCrime is pure gold. I could share what I get from it”

 

“I still don't remember everything”

 

“So you're interested” her smile was broader.

 

“No, I mean there will be plot holes that you'll fill with whatever interests you and makes you be richer. I just want to go through this as low key as possible, Mrs Lounds”

 

“Oh you can't, Abigail... Your father was a monster and all the lambs out there think you're as wolf as your father. If you let me-”

 

“I said no”

 

Freddie didn't change her expression. She just nodded and handed her a card. “When you think about it and see that I'm right, call me”

 

She stood up to leave but she caught something in the air. Her nostrils flared and Abigail could see she didn't like it. 

 

“Will Graham's been here”

 

“Yes, are you going to publish that?”

 

“Of course, dear... but let me warn you. He's a dangerous man” Abigail snorted “I mean it. He spends his life catching murderers. Do you know how? He thinks like them. He reproduces the whole scene in his messed head and he tells the FBI how to catch the killer. Do you know what that means? He imagined being your father over and over, killing those innocent girls. I heard your father killed them so he didn't have to kill you. Now they're all dead. Your father's dead. Who says Will Graham didn't learn from your daddy and now he has you so close-”

 

“Leave” Abigail was trembling. She couldn't believe it. This woman was wrong. Hannibal explained her how Will's mind worked and this woman got it wrong. Didn't she?

 

 

Freddie left the hospital without her interview but not empty handed. She had her recorder in her purse and the whole conversation was there. She could have an article for tonight. She pulled the car out of the parking and her phone rang. It was Wendy, her mate. She was human.

 

“Hello dear”

 

“Hi, Wendy, what's up?”

 

“You busy?”

 

“Nope”

 

“You done with the Hobbs girl?”

 

“Yeah I have something, but not the interview. I'm close though”

 

“That's my girl”

 

Freddie smiled. “Wanna go somewhere?”

 

“No, I'm out of work early. Wanna come home and watch some shitty movie while I cuddle? I've had a rough day”

 

“Yeah baby, I'll be there in less than twenty minutes”

 

“Don't be late, devil girl”

 

Freddie smiled. Her spirits lifted. She was so happy to have found Wendy. They met when the Tokhtakhounov case ended, three years ago. The Russian mafia mob left behind several victims everywhere and Baltimore was no less. Prostitution and drugs hit hard in Maryland and Freddie covered the case for the TattleCrime. Seven prostitutes were found alive, hardly, some of them. There were all drugged and raped by God knows who and how many times. One of them granted an interview. Her name was Wendy Hershel. She was 25, no parents, no family, no home. She had nothing to lose and she wanted to live again.  
Freddie wrote an article and took her home. Six months later Wendy had forgotten her early life. She found a job by herself in the Archangel Enterprises. She translated to Russian, Croatian and French whatever contracts and petitions the Enterprise received. She was amazing, very talented and happy, finally. 

 

The night she got the job she came home crying and laughing and jumping. Freddie's heart jumped. She'd been in love with her from the night she brought her home and set a bath for her. Later, wrapped in a huge bathrobe, clean and herself, she fell in love even more.

 

“I found a fucking job, devil girl!”

 

Wendy called her devil girl from the first day, still not sure if she could trust a demon. Now it was almost like her second name. And Freddie stood up and hugged her, both jumping. Wendy kissed her right there.   
One week later they were bonded, thought Wendy was only human and she didn't feel the bond that strong- and mated.

 

“Okay baby. Your tough day will go away, don't worry”

 

“I hope so, my boss was late today and yelled at everyone. He sent me and the other human in the floor early. He pays a lot, so we shut up and do what he says”

 

Freddie laughed with her but there was something she said she should keep in mind for something that was very very wrong there. Archangel Enterprises was the youngest business an angel controlled. They took care of angels that came form Heaven and had to adapt. They went from have five sponsors in their first year to be one of the richest sponsors in the USA five years later. They moved a lot of stuff, almost everything was entertainment and angel business.

 

Still there was something there...

 

She lost track of thought the moment she stepped home. Candles lead her from the entrance to the bathroom. She didn't need them. As a demon, darkness was bright and she could pick up any scent, mostly her mate's.

 

Wendy's long blonde hair fell almost to the floor and her blue fingernails tapped the bathtub. Her big blue eyes were on hers.

 

“You're late. You better get in here before I freeze”

Freddie kept her warm all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you help me with something? 
> 
> Give me ideas with Alana's possible mate and I'll love you forever. You can choose someone from the tv show, an original character or someone from the books or movies.
> 
> Or even a crossover because I'll do that too, soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like I promised, part 2

Part 2 

 

Will was taking a shower when Hannibal knocked on the door.

 

“I'm going to buy some food. I don't know how you sustain yourself but it's going to change now. Do you want anything special?”

 

Will didn't answer for almost a minute. Hannibal was about to ask if he was okay when he finally said “No, I trust your cooking skills. Just... nothing. See you later”

 

“Okay, then” 

 

Hannibal went out and got into his car. He could breathe now. As much as he loved to be in Will's home, all those dogs and their smells were too much. At least he could do something for Will now. He was buying some food and he'll go home to take his special meat. Will deserved his best dishes.

He was able to think, too, on his way of his favorite store, of what had happened in there. It was the first time he was afraid of being alone in a long time. His first mate, Clarice died long ago, and the ache was dull now. He felt he could die the moment he knew she was dead. He had accepted she was gone after ten years, and another ten he had avoided people. He'd been out, practicing psychiatry once again for thirty years and he was getting tired of it all. All those useless problems and useless people bored him and he was trying to find a distraction when Will appeared. Will was not a distraction but a cure to his loneliness. And, for a moment, he thought Will was going to abandon him.

 

Apparently Will was as disastrous as him to communicate. That made him chuckle. They were both a mess. And maybe that's why the Universe, the Providence or whatever there's out there, made their souls for each other. Hannibal was genuinely happy for that. He thought he was too old to feel what he felt for Will. He needed him and he'll keep him by his side whatever the price. There was the beginning of a bond there, and he felt it when they made love last night.   
Will didn't regret being his first. In fact he preferred it rather than waiting for his Heat. And Hannibal could smell he was close. Maybe their bond could fully settle before that. And there was only one way to do that.

Hannibal feared to show him his soul and being rejected for it. If Will decided to turn him to the FBI he'd have to kill him. He loved Will but his freedom was all for Hannibal. He'd die trapped in a cage. He'd have to take Will to his ground, to show him what made him what and why he was like this. No one is born like Hannibal, he was shaped into this. The closest to Lucifer himself. And he knew it. But he also liked little pleasures, like food and good wine. Humans were interesting to some point, demons were intelligent but impulsive and angels thought too much of themselves. Nephilims were an interesting mix that had nothing to do with the others, and Hannibal was the proof. It was a surprise to himself when he bonded to a human, Clarice Starling. She was nothing like him, but a puzzle. And they both loved dearly each other. Until a monster like him tried to make him pay for his crimes and caught Hannibal, kept him for a day and, when they were going to torture him, Clarice appeared. When she was freeing him a bullet hit her and she died in his arms. Her blood was all over her car, his hands and face.

His revenge was brutal and all of them begged him to die more times he could remember. That didn't make him smile. Clarice was still dead.

His knuckles were white and his heart was over ninety. He calmed himself entering his mind palace and choosing a quiet piece of Handel. 

 

Now in the store he made sure to buy enough food he could cook in a day for Will to eat for a whole week. He bought some fine wines too.  
Then he stopped at home for some item he'd need in the kitchen and some meat. It was well frozen and would last until he arrived to Will's house. He looked around and sighed. He suddenly realized his house was empty of all emotion. He had expensive carpets and furniture. Exotic decoration in every room and a dark veil of mystery was over the whole place. No pictures, no family to remember but his mind.  
No one to fill the hole in his soul was to be found here.

So he left, angry at himself for something he didn't know. Maybe Will have unbalanced him so much he was another kind of mess now. A more human one.

 

When he came back to Will's home, the dogs were out. Some of them had splayed themselves over the place, enjoying the little Sun in a cold day. Others slept around Will, who sat in the porch, enjoying the light in another way. His wings were fully stretched and they reflected the Sun and made them shine. Light brown, almost old gold. They were clean but not groomed. He'd change that, now. 

“Will” he looked up and... he'd shaved. He looked younger. Hannibal cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. Will blushed and laughed nervously.

 

“If we're going to the opera I can't look like a homeless in a nice suit”

 

“I'm eager to see that nice suit”

 

“It's an old one, though, my... father gave it to me”

 

“It'll be okay” they were inside now, Will peering at the grocery bags. “Ah, I see you enjoyed your breakfast”

 

“Uhmmm”

 

“Don't you have to go to work today?”

 

“No, Crawford told me to go home until Monday or Tuesday if I was that bad”

 

“Are you?”

 

“I can go next Monday. It was an episode... what is this?”

 

“Liver and heart. Lamb. I hope you like it. I'll cook enough food for a few days”

 

Will stared at him and shook his head and opened the freezer. “You'll spoil me”

 

“Nothing will satisfy me more” and he meant it. They looked at each other. Will's pupils dilated. 

 

“What else would satisfy you” Hannibal noticed Will's voice was full of arousal and he could smell his pheromones coming out of his skin.

 

“Let me groom your wings”

 

“What?”

 

“Your wings. Let me groom them for you and you'll see what I mean”

 

“But-”

“You've never groomed you wings?”

 

“A few times. Nothing special, though. It's kind of tiring and uncomfortable”

 

“Then you haven't done a good job. Let me tell you...” Hannibal leaned closer and trapped Will between the counter and his body. Will was getting hard and he'll be harder with Hannibal’s ministrations “... you'll feel like you're pleasuring yourself” he whispered right to Will's ear and from his mouth escaped a moan.

 

“My bedroom” Will urged him, then took his hand and they were there in less than ten seconds.

 

Will took off his shirt and sat on the bed. 

Hannibal walked over him and told him to sit on the floor. He hesitated and then obeyed. Now this could be interesting. He sat on his knees and unfolded his wings. Hannibal was used to see them every time now. It was a nice change. Hannibal stripped from his coat, jacket and vest and sat on the bed. Will's wings were truly beautiful. Touching the wings of an angel was extremely intimate and grooming them was much the same, but it made the angel secrete an oil. A special oil that cleaned and made him or her sensitive to every touch.   
Will's never felt it and Hannibal was going to change that.

First he rolled up his sleeves and sat closer to the edge. He admire the junction of flesh and feathers. The strong muscles holding the impressive wings. They were long and the primaries feathers were wide, too. In the semidarkness of his bedroom, his wings were brown. They started to fold, slowly, out of embarrassment, when Hannibal touched between his wings, feeling the muscles moving. He ran his hand up and down his back, soothing him. Almost immediately he started to unfold them, but they lowered until half of them were on the floor.  
It was time.  
Hannibal placed both his hands where his wings borne, where his feathers were small and fluffy, like a baby's wings, and pressed with his thumbs, making circles. Instantly, there was an oily liquid that leaked from under the feathers. Will gasped and grabbed his pajama bottoms. He threw his head back when Hannibal’s hands traveled from the scapulars to the alula, where the third bone begins. The oil was now traveling from the top feathers, down to the tips. The oil glands were soft, so they needed gentle stimulation to work.  
Will's glands had never been stimulated. He praised himself for being the first one in this, too. It was a privilege and he felt he'd done well, by the moans Will's mouth let out.

 

“I see you're enjoying yourself” he joked. Peering over his shoulder, he saw Will was hard. And the scent his glands secreted was arousing him too. 

 

His hands were soaked now. Hannibal begun with the scapulars, pulling them up, airing them and leaving them to shape themselves back. The marginal coverts and the secondary coverts were decent, but a nice brushing with his fingers was doing wonders anyways. The primary coverts and the secondary cloak of feathers were a mess and Hannibal took his time with the knots and the dead feathers. Will, under him, was panting and he was fighting to not to touch himself.

 

“Please, let me feel your wings?” Will asked, head lolling to one side.

 

Hannibal’s hands stopped. He wasn't sure... their first meeting went well and he'd let Will see a glimpse of them a few times but this intimacy... He was self-conscious with them, being a mutation, produced by his parents heritage. He was used to being mocked for them. They were huge and magnificent, but that was not enough for them...

“Hannibal, please...” Will lay his head on his knee and leaned into his thigh.

 

Hannibal unfolded his wings and brought them into this dimension. Fully tangible and in sight. Will heard the noise and looked around. His face was flushed and his eyes were all pupil. Hannibal, mouth slightly open, averted his eyes, like many times before with other people. His wings, that went from black, brown and maroon, depending on the light, were not stretched.  
Will got up in wobbly legs and sat straddling his legs. Hannibal rather liked this position. Will started to unbutton his shirt.

 

“You wouldn't forgive me if I scattered all these buttons around the room” he explained.

 

“I'd forgive you anything, Will”

 

Their eyes met and Will gave him a light bump with his forehead. Once the shirt and undershirt were off, Will ran his hands over Hannibal’s shoulder to his wings. First the closest to his body. They were great and huge and thick. There was an extra cloak of feathers that had Will open mouthed. The darkest ones reflected the light like a raven's wings. The primaries were longer than the secondaries.  
Then there was the second set. Will was very curious but wary to touch them. Hannibal embraced Will's waist to reach for his wings from above and resumed the grooming, pushing their chests together. They forgot they were hard to explore each other bodies. One side of his face against Hannibal’s neck and shoulder  
Will touched and rub down the strong back muscles that kept his wings up, amazed with their strength. 

 

“Go on, touch them” Hannibal encouraged him.

 

And Will did touch them. To grant access, he spread his wings and the front of them pushed against Will's. They covered them fully and more. The primaries of Hannibal’s wings had nothing to cover. Will realized his own wings were as long as Hannibal’s second set. Meanwhile Hannibal kept massaging and settling Will's wings. They now twitched and Hannibal, experimentally, pulled at the pajama bottoms elastic and placed his slick hand between Will's cheeks. He hummed happily and arched his back, trying to making him move faster. His hands, still on Hannibal’s second set, gripped them hard when a finger slipped in.

 

“I didn't know I was wet...” he admitted.

 

“The grooming does this to an Omega” he mused.

 

“What does it to you?” Will asked, his voice cracking.

 

“It makes me want to ravage you. Like a predator, Will, and you'll be wanting it”

 

Will moaned and thrust up, against Hannibal’s belly. The finger inside Will crooked and a second joined in, Will bouncing to seek some friction. Hannibal wrapped his other hand around Will's cock and, wet as it was, it only took three strokes to tighten around his fingers, grasp Hannibal’s wings and come all over them. Still panting, Will kissed him fiercely, biting Hannibal’s lips and tongue.

 

“On your hands and knees, Will”

 

Will hurried to obey, their wings bumping on his way, until he was like Hannibal wanted. He spread his legs and, still soaked with the oil, he pushed three fingers and started to massage and stretch him. Will arched his back and dropped to his elbows, whimpering. 

I'm the one who gets to see him like this, Hannibal thought, scratching and kneading Will's wings with the tips of his fingers. Will was almost mewling when Hannibal positioned himself behind him, pulled out his fingers, and entered him slowly. Will was still sore and sensitive, add his Heat so close now. The wet walls inside him helped him ease the pain. Neither of them would stop now.   
Hannibal grips him by the waist and thrusts gently, always able to control himself. He drowned in Will's scent, the oil of his wings, the leaking he was provoking with his slow thrusts, the clean sweat in his back and neck. He leaned in to hold Will's hair and, covering him and his wings, Hannibal licked down his neck to back, almost reaching to the beginning of his light brown wings.   
Will whimpered, sore and aroused and came once again, making him come right after. Like the night before, he wouldn't knot until the Heat. If Will was willing to, of course.

Will fell on the bed, with Hannibal on top of him. He made the effort to get up and clean himself. Hannibal enjoyed the view. He came back to clean him too and threw the cloth away. He didn't feel clean but he was with Will.

 

“Fancy a nap?” Will asked, already on his side, wings starting to act like a cocoon.

 

Hannibal rearranged them, his bigger wings under Will's, wrapping him up, Will's own doing the same to him, under his. Legs tangled up, arms around Will's frame. He was feeling more protective over him each day.

Will gasped a few moments later, when Hannibal let his soul roam free. Will went for it and they connected through it. Hannibal took him to his mind palace. A place he used to escape boredom, fear and to seek peace and memories. Music, images, frozen faces and a little girl taking both their hands, guiding them. There were frescoes and sculptures Will recognized. The little kid took them to a dark corridor, full of scrams and shouting and gunshots. The coppery smell of blood and the bitter smell of death was over him. Hannibal couldn't move and the girl dropped his hand and Will and her kept moving. She opened a door and Will saw himself as Hannibal, full of rage and sadness. He'd lost everything, his parents, his sister, his home... he'd had revenge upon them.

Then Hannibal’s mind palace disappeared and they were on the bed again. Hannibal was sweating and on the brink of tears. Will was not sure what to do or say. He just held him with his wings until he came back. A single tear pooling under his eye. Will wiped it with his thumb.

“Thank you”

 

“No, I'm a monster”

 

“Thank you for letting me in. We're all monsters, but you did something, right?” Hannibal didn't answer nor looked at him “You did something terrible and you're not sorry. You thought it was right and you still think it so”

 

“I can disappear and you'll never see me again. Don't tell Crawford or... I don't know what I'd do to protect myself, Will. Don't make me”

 

Will cuddled and sighed. He thought he should tell Crawford but there was no proof of anything, only a vague remember of an old time in the memory of a broken man. It was like imprisoning Will for thinking like a criminal.

 

“Some day I'll want to know. I'll want answers”

 

“Some day you'll have them. When you're prepared”

 

Will nodded and fell asleep.

 

 

When he woke up it was four pm and there was a note on the bed. It was Hannibal’s handwriting. He said he had a patient at one pm and that he'd pick him up at five.

The time came too fast and Hannibal had to tie a decent knot before going out. The opera was small with selected people well over Will's status. There were angels and demons but no nephilims or humans, except for the singer and the musicians. All of them were so excited that Will felt all their thrumming souls at once. Hannibal, feeling his distress, took his hand and sent some treat for him to focus on. It was Hannibal’s memory of the first time he felt something for Will. That made him smile through all the event. The singer was amazing and breathtaking when the voice and the music worked too well. Their hands never detached until Hannibal had to drive him home.

He couldn't stay for the night. He had an appointment early the next morning so he left, but not before kissing Will until his head was felt blurred. 

 

 

Will used his next day to try to bond with Abigail. He left home soon and arrived to the Hospital fast. Abigail was awake, Dr. Bloom reading “The Hobbit” for her. Abigail was smiling. And her eyes lit when she saw Will.

 

He greeted Alana and sat beside her, listening to Alana's voice until she had to go. Will opened his bag and presented Abigail with a soup Hannibal had left him. She almost jumped with joy.  
When she was done, Will talked to her doctor and he acceded to take her out for a walk. Abigail held the IV and Will held her waist. She was small for a nephilim and too kind. There was a dark spot there, too, but Will wouldn't push her.  
They talked for hours and she dozed on his shoulder a few minutes in the garden. There were people around them, walking with their family or friend from the hospital. A well dressed angel frowned at them then walked away.

Abigail laughed at a little dog trying to catch a butterfly and Will loved her laugh.

 

“Do you want to come back?”

 

“Only if you promise to visit soon. And Hannibal, please”

 

“Done”

 

“Are you two okay? Why isn't he here?”

 

“He had an appointment and he couldn't make it, sorry”

 

“Are you two bonded?”

 

“Soon. I think. The bonding will go slow”

 

She looked away. “Is it because of our bond?”

 

“No, your bond is entirely different. He's your guardian, he'll be my mate”

 

She blushed. “I'm cold. Let's go back” he took off his jacket and pulled it over her small shoulders. Will wasn't big but Abigail was a small teenager. Younger in angel standards. She was actually sixteen years old. That meant the bond with Hannibal told everyone he was her new father, her protector. And Will was almost bonded to him. That would make them her parents. Will laughed at that.

 

 

 

He'd just had one filthy nephilim and another was on sight. She was a very young Omega. She had a bandage on her, probably because her mate didn't want her and had to cut herself to make him realize she was for him. Stupid bitch. Nephilims were stupid. Period. And this one would be easy to break.  
He left the Hospital, the new angel that came from Heaven didn't know cars are not ethereal and he was in Intensive Care. As the CEO of Archangel Enterprises, it was his duty to tell him he was still on the program, the Hospital bill covered. He still didn't know what a bill was.

He focused on the young nephilim he'd seen. She was entering the Hospital now with her pure angel mate. A shame. She was pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, slow and all that, but you get to know more of this serial killer
> 
> one more thing, find me in Tumblr if you like http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 Days until Heat.
> 
> This is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
> 
> We're almost there!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to make you wait

Five days until Heat... - Part one

Day one: Monday. Another guardian.

 

It wasn't her business, but it felt right. She needed to make sure Will was safe with everything that had happened to him since Garret Jacob Hobbs. He hadn't freak out. It was like he was in peace with killing a man, even if he was a murderer. It wasn't right. She expected a mental breakdown and she got nothing. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. Will had a potential mate and, who knows if they weren't already mates? She'd never seen Will interested in anyone. His dogs were his life and his job a distraction from his empathy.   
But then she had to say no to Jack and recommend him Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Well done, Alana... 

She sighed. She was a little jealous. She was Will's guardian since his mothers died, from a distance, of course, and she felt something for him. His gift was a curse too, and that made him reject people. If it was to protect them from him or for fear to get attached to them, she didn't know.   
And now they had another killer and Jack had called him to a crime scene and he'd suffered. Alana was, as usual -lately-, very angry. Will wasn't a bonus Jack used when they were on a dead end. Will was a very unstable angel, with a rare gift. And no one understood how it worked. Maybe not even Will. And she had the feeling only Dr. Lecter could. But as a doctor, not as a lover or mate. 

She knocked on Jack Crawford's office and he told her to come in. Jack looked tired. His angel wife was dying and it was too much for him. For a human, to know and then fall in love with an angel was the most beautiful thing to happen. It brought joy to both of them and now, for some strange illness, an angel was dying. It just didn't happen. She needed to go to Heaven but she refused to leave him.

 

“Hello, Alana”

 

“Hi Jack. Do you have a moment?”, he signaled the chair and she sat in front of him. “What do you know about Hannibal and Will?”

 

“Will is getting better. I saw him smile the other day to a trainee. Maybe Dr. Lecter is taking him out his bubble. I'm still concerned about Abigail Hobbs, though. I heard Lecter and her have a... family bond?”

 

“Yes, it's not unheard in these cases. He protected her and saved her, then they joined souls and brought her to life, basically. Will did that, too, but the bond didn't form with him”

 

“Why? He was there, too, the whole time”

 

“He killed her father, he destroyed a bond that was there the moment she was conceived. It'll take time or never be formed. It depends”

 

“On what” he leaned back on his chair. He knew this was going to some point.

 

“On the other side of the new bond” he frowned. “If Dr. Lecter and Will form a bond, Abigail will bond to him, too”

 

“And... what does it exactly mean? Why would Dr. Lecter and Will...?” she raised an eyebrow. “Oh...”

 

“I think Will and Hannibal are going to become mates the sooner or later”

 

“And do you think this will have a side effect on Will?”

 

“Well, you've already seen some. He's been smiling a lot, and he's become more confident. You pushed him too much the other day with that nephilim killer, but I think it's for... something else”

 

“What do you mean?” he frowned again. She sighed and blushed.

 

“He's being too sensitive because he's close to his first Heat, Jack. The moment they met it was settled. I bet their souls are compatible and Dr. Lecter, being an Alpha, affects him”

 

“You're an Alpha, too. Do you trigger Heats on every Omega around?”

 

“That's rude”

 

“I didn't mean it like that”

 

“Only to potential mates” she answered.

 

“Okay...” Jack massaged his temples and tried to think about the consequences. “So, the doctor we relay on to take care on Will might lose some of his objectiveness because his patient is his mate?”

 

“Not really, but he'll try to protect him and, Jack, you've been pushing Will too far. Don't do it anymore or, at least, let him breath. Will has become the most valuable thing Hannibal has. Or, eventually, he will” Alana said, trying to explain how an Alpha might react to a danger for his mate.

 

“I get the message. But if Will is willing to help...”

 

“Yes, of course he will help. But if it's too much, don't just stay there looking at him losing his mind. Send him home or call Hannibal. It'll keep him safe and somewhat stable

 

“Okay... anything else?”

 

“No, I think that's all” she was standing to leave when Jack spoke again.

 

“You care for him”

 

“He's special. And a distressed Omega” Alana smiled at him. “You can't blame me for my nature. I try to protect him, too”

 

He nodded and Alana left.

 

She felt relieved. A little, at least. She didn't hear the punch Jack gave to the wall.

 

 

Almost out of the building, and he came across the demon girl she saw the other day. Her clouded eyes were on her, Alana felt them.

 

“Hi”

 

“Hello”

 

They stood awkwardly one in front of the other for a few seconds. Alana smiled and showed her wings a little.

 

“Alana Bloom, by the way”

 

“Yeah I know you. I'm Beverly Katz, I'm on the team with Will Graham”

 

“With... Zeller and Price?”

 

“Yes, good guys. I didn't knew you were there”

 

“They're lucky to have me. They needed a demon between all these humans” Alana laughed. “Were you leaving?”

 

“Yes, I came here to talk to Jack. I was just leaving”

 

“Do you have... five or ten minutes? I'd like to invite you to a coffee or tea”

 

An Omega demon hitting on you, Alana. Don't mess it up.

 

“Sure thing”

 

That day, Will didn't go to work. Doctor's orders.  
That night, the killer spotted Abigail Hobbs walking with a nurse. No mate around.

 

Day two: Tuesday. A sniff of his prey.

He'd just left Will's home and was heading to his house when a shop catches his eye. It was a fine “jewelery” shop for... special customers. Hannibal had an exquisite taste for everything and this was for Will. He would hide this until they were closer in their relationship.  
He parked his car close and got into the shop. It smelled of leather and metals. There were two more clients, a business man, clearly, and a... goth. Hannibal smelled him instantly. A Beta demon. 

The clerk, a male Beta angel, approached him. “Anything you like, sir? Do you need assistance?”

 

“Yes. I want a leather collar, navy blue, matching leash, not long. And a plate with my mate's name”

 

“Of course, sir” the clerk said. “Here's some of our models. Any price in mind?”

 

“That won't be an issue”

 

“Is he or she human, angel, demon...?”

 

“He's an angel”

 

“Well, this one” he took a thin collar, all models were in black, and held it in front of him. “It's very light, comfortable"

 

“A broader one, please. As thin as this one”

 

“I see you have in mind something very specific”

 

“His neck is a delight only to be covered with something as delicate” Hannibal smiled courteously. The clerk laughed.

 

“Of course, sir. Then wait here a minute and I'll be back with something you'll approve”

 

Hannibal nodded and walked around. Most of these things were not appealing to his likings, but there was beauty in them. The angel client was still talking to the other clerk, a human female. The demon was looking at him, closer now.

Hannibal didn't show any emotion.

 

“A present for your mate?” he said. He was Russian. Tall and skinny, black cloudy eyes.

 

“Yes”

 

“Kinda kinky” 

 

No answer.

 

“I bet that angel is an Omega... yeah sure, he is. An angel, I heard. And you reek of nephilim. Is it true that little Omegas have the hottest Heats? I only fuck demons, you see. But I wouldn't say no to a pretty little Omega angel. Sweet tiny things. I bet their asses are covered in fluffy feathers”

 

Hannibal blinked and smiled. In these thirty seconds he'd pictured his death in twenty different situations. It was the first time someone said something rude about Will. He'd expected this moment and was eager to do something about it. The demon boy smiled and his teeth were crooked. 

“He needs a collar? Is he a little bitch? Bitches need to be tied up, huh?”

 

“Sir, is this man with you?” Hannibal addressed the angel. He turned around and frowned at the demon.

 

“Is he bothering you?”

 

“Yes, I'd appreciate it if you kept him gagged if his mouth has nothing nice to say”

 

The angel barked a laugh and threw his head back. “Not my mate but he should be gagged, that's true. Pavel, get the hell out of here and wait in the car”

 

The demon threw a last look at Hannibal and left. Hannibal held his smell once again and imprinted on his sour soul. “You're mine” he whispered.

 

“Sir?” the clerk said. He held a nice collar and leash. It was exactly what Hannibal wanted.

 

“Yes, this one. Navy blue”

 

“Sure thing. And the name on the plate?”

 

“William”

 

“No pet names then. Between us, I prefer that. Frankly, it's humiliating to carve some stupid pet name”

 

“I understand”

 

“Well, you'll have the collar this week. Thursday?”

 

“Perfect” 

 

But he was half listening. All his senses were on the demon. He'd follow them and find out where he lived. He was thinking of a new recipe. 

 

Now in the car, Hannibal thought of the weekend. He'd stayed at Will's home all weekend. They'd cooked together, walked the dogs into the forest and had so much sex Hannibal was tired. Will was learning how to please him, too, even if he didn't notice. Hannibal started with simple orders. Bring this, change that, sit there, to the left, now stop... not all of them were during sex.   
Will sometimes asked why, but he obeyed in the end. His sweet eyes often looked for his, making sure Hannibal was still there. Hannibal felt his loneliness and it was hurtful because there was already a bond, there. Their insecurities made the bond weak. Hannibal needed to make sure he'd be there for Will, always.   
But he was insecure himself. What if Will found out and-? No point in asking himself that. Not yet. He wasn't planning on showing him his whole soul. Not yet...

And yet there was a bond there he needed to strengthen. He drove to the Hospital were Abigail was still recovering and found her deeply asleep. He sat by her side and held her fragile hand. She was very pale but apparently that was her color. The bandage on her neck was bloody and he made a trip to get clean bandages and latex gloves.  
He returned to the room and Abigail was awake.

 

“I knew you were close” she said, her voice hoarse. 

 

“I wasn't able to visit you these days, I'm sorry”

 

“Will came the other day, he said you had an appointment. He helped me out and we walked in the garden, down there”

 

“He's very kind”

 

“I know. What do you have in there?” she pointed a finger to his hands and he moved to her other side.

 

“I'm going to change your bandage. It's stained with blood”

 

She looked down and gave a little nod.

 

“Will said it wasn't my fault”

 

“It isn't” he started to work and, carefully, removed the cotton bandage. She flinched a little. “Be as still as you can”

 

“I should have stopped him. It was my duty but I just couldn't”

 

“He was a monster. I know how they look like and what I saw before he was dead was a monster, not an angel dying. You are lucky to be here now. Will saved your life”

 

“So did you”

 

Hannibal threw the gloves in the bin and brought a finger to his lips. “It's our little secret”

 

“You're a doctor”

 

“I was a medical doctor. Now I'm a psychiatrist, but I haven't forgotten how to treat a wound”

 

“A psychiatrist...” she repeated.

 

“I'm not here to be your psychiatrist, Abigail. You realize we have a bond”

 

“A family bond”

 

“It means I'm your guardian now. Are you okay with that?”

 

“You didn't know me when I was dying and opened your soul to me. How is that wrong?”

 

Her big blue eyes were on his and he remembered Mischa's eyes. Maybe there was a place for her on Abigail. Maybe he could bring back Mischa. Abigail seemed to have her innocence but he knew better. There was something he wanted to hear from her lips. When she was dying and he reached out for her soul, he searched there and felt the thrill of the hunt and the rush of blood when another people's blood was shed. She'd seen his father killing these girls, at least. Maybe she participated. Maybe she killed some. He wanted to know.

 

“Nothing's wrong, Abigail. You wanted to survive the whole time”

 

She half smiled.

 

“Freddie Lounds came to see me, too. She wanted an interview and warned me of Will Graham when I refused. Is he... dangerous?”

 

“No more than you or me”

 

She shot him a terrified look she hid instantly. She swallowed and nodded. 

 

“Anything you remember will help the FBI, Abigail. If you feel uncomfortable around them you can tell me and I'll make sure Jack Crawford gets the message”

 

“Okay. Dr. Lecter I-”

 

“Hannibal. Call me Hannibal”

 

“Hannibal, I was wondering... Will you bring me some food? Will brought me the other day and it was much better than this trash they call food”

 

“Of course” he assured her, laughing. “Not tomorrow, sadly. I have to do something very important”

 

“Oh”

 

“It's like a life debt”

 

Day three: Wednesday. The hunt.

 

It was four in the morning and he was waiting in front of the building for half an hour when the demon called Pavel came out. He was drugged and he walked like a clumsy baby. Hannibal didn't make a noise when he stood up and followed him from the other street. His scent was his and, therefore, he wouldn't escape. The moment Hannibal decided to strike, the demon wouldn't escape. He wouldn't survive, either. 

Two more blocks of waiting and the demon sat in the middle of the street. He was chanting something but Hannibal didn't care. His prey was there and there was no one around. All the windows were dark. This block was full of humans, only. And humans slept a lot, compared to the rest of the races. Better this way, he said to himself. No one to silence later.

Hannibal approached from behind, grace in all his moves, deadly silence preceding the screams that wouldn't come. He held with both his strong hands an aluminum string, tensed it and passed it around his neck. Hannibal knelt behind him, strangling him until the demon fell unconscious in his arms. Hannibal held him, placed him over his shoulder and then took him his car. His heart was calm the whole time.

 

One hour later he was at home, in the basement, with Pavel the demon tied up with iron chains that burned marks into his skin. He was naked, knelt in the middle of the room, held up by the neck to the ceiling. Hannibal circled him and, when he was in front of the demon, took the iron bar and hit him hard in the side, breaking two hard ribs. Harder than angels and humans, demons were incredibly strong. But Hannibal wasn't just a nephilim. He was the only nephilim with a complicated heritage that made him stronger than anyone. At least anyone that had the bad luck to fight him.  
This demon was nothing compared to others, but that wouldn't stop him from doing what he deserved. 

 

“Wake up” another blow to the same rib. 

 

The demon cried out and woke up. He was confused and looked around him, blinking several times. There were five lamps focused on him. He discovered he was in iron chains and screamed, noticing the burning in his wrists and neck. Hannibal got tired.

 

“Please shut up or you'll force me to gag you with an iron muzzle” the demon looked up and frowned.

 

“Do I even know you, old man?”

 

“I didn't expect you to remember the encounter we had just yesterday, seeing you're as rude in every moment in your miserable life”

 

“Shut the fuck up”

Hannibal hit his face this time. The demon grunted and spat blood on his shoes. What a shame. His teeth would fall first, then.

“You implied my mate, an Omega angel, had what? Feathers in his little ass?” the demon recognized him then.

 

“Come on man, that was just a fucking joke!” he lied. He knew why was there and tried to justify himself. 

 

“You also implied my mate needed a collar and a leash because he was a bitch. Maybe I'll hold you in this basement for the rest of your life and teach you to be a bitch. I could bring some big hounds to breed you and show you to a few friends that would like to get a well behaved bitch. Maybe I could buy the collar, leash and muzzle and start now”

 

“Oh man, you're sick as fuck”

“Such a filthy mouth you have. Your mouth is of no use so you're not a good bitch for my friends. I'll use it, then, as I please”

 

“You put your dick in my mouth next second you have no dick”

 

“I can assure you, Pavel, you're not the one who bites here”

 

Hannibal walked behind him and, holding high above him the iron bar, aimed it to the shoulder. It went through the demon like a knife goes through butter. The scream sounded like music to him. The exquisite sound of torture on someone as disgusting as this one was a delight. 

He unpacked the knives and started to slice through the demon's skin. When the knife touched the skin, it hissed. He had used old iron knives from the fourteenth century. Beauties from Italy, from his mother's family, the Visconti. 

The agony stopped when Hannibal went to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. He called Will and told him he'd visited Abigail. Will was shy on the phone and Hannibal told him he missed him, without thinking. Will laughed and told him he missed him too. 

Hannibal found the demon half asleep and woke him up circling and twisting the iron bar in his shoulder.

 

“I just talked to my mate, oblivious to your suffering, sadly... At least he'll get to taste you”

 

“W-what?”

 

“Have you heard of the Chesapeake Ripper?” the recognition made him open his eyes like an owl. “Do you remember what the news say? He collects some prizes. Organs. Like trophies” Hannibal laughed and shook his head, then looked at him. The demon was trembling and the chains clinking. “I collect organs to eat them later. Fine dinners, invite some friends, and I get to make something good with rude people. You were very rude. You'll be my mate's breakfast”

 

He leaned in as fast as he could, spread his wings and charged into the demon's face. He bit his cheek and, between screams and blood, he teared the face off of the offender. He would never speak again. He would never say things, uncomfortable things to respectable people. He'd done a favor to the world.  
No one would miss this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hint: the demon was someone who worked for our killer.
> 
> Hint 2: Freddie will dig in.
> 
> Hint 3: Certain killer is going to make a huge mistake.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5, part 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of shameless fluff, experimental stuff in bed with Hannibal and Will and a few clues with our serial killer. Also, a name.

Part 2

Day four: Thursday. Bond.

 

Freddie Lounds was frustrated. She'd come to a dead end in these cases. There was a serial killer raping and torturing nephilims mated to pure angels. Radicals like these were not often, and the people were scared.  
The FBI was behind him -as Special Agent Will Graham stated last week-, but they needed more evidence. Freddie set her jaw. Will Graham. He said the killer was a male Alpha angel. He felt him. Just like he felt Garret Jacob Hobbs, and then he killed him. Too many plot holes. She didn't like plot holes. And the FBI was so obtuse they didn't see it. Will Graham was dangerous. He slipped in the minds of criminals and one day he'll get enough information to become one. Maybe he already was.

Abigail was in danger, then. If Hobbs wanted to kill her but avoided it by killing other girls, who said Will wasn't already planning to finish his job? She needed to talk to Abigail again. But she was attached to that Dr. Lecter and Graham.

Freddie decided then she had to investigate and find out by herself. The puzzle was too big but she had patience and gut. 

 

“Freddie?” she didn't hear the door.

 

“Hey, I'm here” she called out. “You're home early. Again. What's wrong with your boss?”

 

She turned around and saw Wendy. She was beautiful. Everyday she told her and she'll do it forever. She looked puzzled. 

 

“What's wrong, baby?” Freddie stood up and went to hug her.

 

“My boss. He's been acting like crazy all this week but today he was angry” she frowned and looked at Freddie. “I mean, I know the work is tiring, with new angels coming from Heaven, but the work is fine and everyone's giving a hundred percent. He's been calling for an hour in his office to someone. Pavel. Finally he gave up and threw the cellphone to the wall. Everyone was so scared. He sent us home and stormed out of the office”

Freddie held her tight and lead her to the kitchen. She made tea.

 

“Okay, we're going to do this. You're gonna change into something more comfortable and go to bed. I'm going out and ask your friends of the office. I'll find out who that Pavel is and see what's wrong with your boss. Okay?”

 

“Can't you stay home?” Wendy started to unbutton her shirt. She stood up and sat on Freddie's lap  
.

“If you're asking me so nicely how can I refuse?”

 

Freddie’s phone rang. “Damn it!”

 

“Freddie Lounds... yes. No, wait... okay. Thank you, I'll be there in a few minutes”

 

“What now...?”

 

“I'm sorry, I need to go. One of my birds told me someone saw something weird last night and a human girl has reported her boyfriend to the Police. She pays me to find him”

 

“Oh” Wendy looked down, disappointed. Freddie pinched her thigh lightly.

 

“You're not escaping tonight, though”

 

Will was giving a lecture to a class when Beverly Katz showed up. She wanted him on the lab, now. Crawford's orders. He sighed and left, the class dismissed. Three days back to work and Crawford was already on him.

 

“Are you okay, Will?”

 

“I'm perfect” he said, bitterly.

 

“I know it's too much to ask, but Crawford's having a hard time. His wife is worse. She lost conscience yesterday and she's not waking up”

 

“I'm sorry for that” he really was. He'd met Bella and she was an amazing angel. She loved Jack profoundly and her unknown disease was a hard blow for everyone around her. “Jack must be devastated”

 

“He is angry and barks at everyone”

 

“I understand” Will looked up and he was surprised to find her soul, normally calm and always around her, excited and reaching out everywhere. Beverly was smiling, too, absent. “You've met someone”

 

She blushed and laughed, nodding. “She's your friend, Alana. We went out the other day and, oh man, she's perfect. We had a date yesterday, too. I think she's my bond-mate. It's still too soon, but...”

 

“I see” he smiled and squeezed her shoulder.

 

“I noticed you're happy, too. Is he treating you well?”

 

“So you know”

 

“Everyone knows. It was a surprise for everyone. We all know Dr. Lecter, his books and studies have helped the forensics field for years. His past isn't clear but we know he's had at least a mate, and lost her. It's nice to see someone with so much pain finally happy”

 

“We've just started”

 

“And he's triggered a Heat. I can smell you're close”

 

Will turned red and his eyebrows went up. Katz laughed so hard a few clerks and agents turned around.

 

“Come on, Will, don't be innocent. It's not like he's your first...”

 

“He is”

 

“Jesus Christ...”

 

“Isn't it forbidden for a demon to... swear that?”

 

She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at her eyes. 

 

“You haven't had your first Heat. You're a virgin and-”

 

“Was a virgin”

 

She gaped at him. “Before the Heat?”

 

“He doesn't want to hurt me. And he wants to form a bond before, if I'm sure”

“Not every Alpha would do that”

 

“He's special”

 

“So are you, Will. Please take care of yourself. I don't know how it is for angels, but the Heat for an Omega demon is for a bond-mate” they kept walking and took the elevator. 

 

“He let me touch his soul, Beverly. He's as lonely as I am. I know it's not a reason to be together, but his mind is very much like mine, too and I'm comfortable with him. He's so stoic and serious... but he's gentle and... well. He's Hannibal. He's a little weird, but who isn't?”

 

Beverly was right. Crawford's anguish was overwhelming and he had to go out of the room for a few minutes. He knew, Will noticed when he came back.   
Crawford wanted to remind them they had a serial killer to catch and that he was unpredictable with timing. So the next victim could die tomorrow or the next week.

 

“Hurry up. I don't want you in other case. Price, Zeller, Katz, you're all mine. Will, come to my office right now”

 

He followed him and closed the door.

 

“Did I make a huge mistake with Dr. Lecter? Do I have your mind fixed or you'll be like a horny teenager no longer focused? I need to know, now, Will. If he's interfering with your work, I'll find another agent”

 

“Jack, you're offending me”

 

“I didn't mean it because you're an Omega, goddammit”

 

“In any case, no, he's not distracting me from my job. The episode of the other day was because I'm hyper-sensitive now, more than before, because I'm close to my Heat. So the least you should do is pushing me. I know we have a responsibility, but my health is important too. Dr. Lecter, as my doctor and mate has to worry about me”

 

“Fine, just remember there's another nephilim out there who's going to die if you don't help us. Now get out”

 

 

Will came home late. He was furious, sad and hungry. He let the dogs out and let the door open. He heated some meat Hannibal had cooked last weekend. Will remembered his hands all over his body, his wings... Hannibal’s mouth and teeth, careful and loving bites. The rest of the weekend they talked about their lives.   
Will told him what he did before the FBI and why he refused to meet anyone out of work. Hannibal told him the little kid he saw in his mind palace was his sister. She died in a human war and Hannibal was in Heaven when that happened. He couldn't save her and he was traumatized for years before remembering anything. He didn't tell him everything. He would, eventually, Hannibal said. 

 

But now he had to find the serial killer. Jack was really bad and Will couldn't fight him more than usual, or there would be trouble.  
But Will was frustrated. It was hard enough to concentrate in class, with his damned Heat approaching, to be on the killer's head now. And his Heat wasn't already there for him. It was his fault. If he wasn't so insecure with Hannibal and their relationship, the Heat would've been there a week after their meeting. But no, it's been months! 

He sat in the kitchen and tried to eat thinking of the relieving art of punching something. Maybe the couch.  
The dogs came in and he feed them. Winston refused to eat in a bowl so he hand-fed him. He went to close the door and sat in the couch and cuddled with Winston, Prince and Lady, wings wrapping around him in a soft embrace. The others around them. 

 

He tried to understand why was he feeling so sad and found out it was his own situation. Trapped between a serial killer, the absence of two bonds he needed and the Heat that just wouldn't come. He's never wanted a Heat. Heats meant someone else in your life and, being as unstable as he was, a relationship would only complicate things. Heats meant family, too. Having babies in Heaven, leaving your job for a while and then over again.  
He enjoyed sex with Hannibal. He was amazing and he always made Will end like he was floating, tired and sated. At least there wasn't the possibility of getting pregnant. Only in a Heat the Omega got pregnant.  
He was still too young but, seeing Abigail had awakened something inside him. It was a tiny spark of yearning, in his chest. And Hannibal didn't have children. He wasn't that old -not even in angel standards-, maybe his mates weren't able to have babies because of his mixed heritage.

 

Still... Will touched his stomach and pressed down, where his uterus -different to the female's uterus- would create a life. Sooner or later, his clock would just tell him when was the time.

Only if his Heat... oh. Will understood. Maybe his pure heritage was the problem. Maybe Hannibal’s Alpha nature triggered a Heat but not the reproductive response from his body.

 

“Always my problem...”

 

He entered in a spiral of depressing thoughts, blaming himself too for the weak bond between them and Will's lack of strength to hold the bond. Then not even Abigail's own bond with him would live, and Hannibal and Abigail would just leave him aside. A broken angel, with zero capacity of bonding. Not even his Omega nature was on his side.

He realized he was crying when Winston licked them off his face. He slept until there were no more tears.

 

Hannibal sensed, deep in his chest, Will's sadness. He smiled when he realized they had a bond, and then it hit him. Sadness was what he first felt and that wasn't good, not at all.   
He hurried, packing the last organs he wouldn't use yet and put them in the freezer. Then he changed clothes and drove to Will's home. It was one and a half hour agony, feeling his mate's distress and he couldn't do anything.  
When he arrived he opened the door with the spare key Will gave him and saw him curled up in the couch, his wings all over him and three of his dogs beside him. When he got closer he saw he had been crying. Hannibal crouched in front of him and touched his knee. Will began to stir when he touched his light brown feathers. Will gasped and, when he saw Hannibal, he seemed confused.

 

“I felt the bond. Don't you feel it, Will?”

 

Will looked at him, frowned and... yes, he felt it, too. He laughed and more tears left his eyes. Hannibal brought him up, held him in his arms and kissed his temple. Will's hands grabbing his jacket. His wings embraced them both and Hannibal bathed in all those wonderful smells. Will's own scent mixed with his Heat, his wings ans oil glands, the clean soap smell... and even his dogs. This was all Will and there was no other place he wanted to be.

Will sobbed over his shoulder. Tears of sadness and joy. When he stopped, Hannibal tipped his head back and kissed him tenderly. Will hummed and let himself go. Hannibal let him see and feel his wings, caressing Will's own set. He knew Will loved to touch them and he'd let him groom his wings when he calmed down.

 

“What's made you so sad? Sad enough to form a bond?”

 

“I-I was thinking that I am a disaster with all this. I can't form a bond, I can't have a normal Heat and I'm sure you'll get tired of me for being the disappointing Omega that I am”

 

“Will, look at me. Very good. Now listen. Do you remember the first time we met?” Will nodded once. “What did your soul tell you?”

 

“It was singing”

 

Hannibal gripped his hair lightly and brought their foreheads together. Hannibal grinned.

 

“That means we were going to become mates, eventually. Our personalities might have delayed it a little but I'm here because you were so lost the bond created itself for us. So I could come here and convince you that you're not broken”

 

Will nodded again. His eyes and nose were red and Hannibal hated why it was. Never again, he said to himself. Will will know what to feel loved is. Even monsters know how to love.

 

“What if you groom my wings tonight? It'll be a lot of work because they're four but I can spend the night here. Tomorrow morning I have a client, though”

 

“Okay”

 

“I promise you it will change once we're fully mated and bonded”

 

“I wish”

 

Will was behind him on the bed. Both of them naked and Hannibal’s wings unfolded behind him, displayed for Will to touch them. Will started to run his hands over the four of them, not reaching to the end them, not even with the shorter ones, as long as his. So Hannibal folded them for Will. Then Hannibal felt a hand on his back, rubbing slowly between his wings. His muscles no longer tense. Then the oil started to come out. The scent was strong for Will, overwhelming.

 

“Do you like it, Will?” his own voice was hoarse now with arousal, and they'd just started.

 

“It's like your body is telling me to be turned on for you” Will said in a shaky voice.

 

Will massaged his wings with the oil and made sure they were all coated in the liquid. Hannibal was almost panting and Will enjoyed every moment. Both of them hard, now, but neither wanting to move.  
Will reaching around and, pressing his chest to Hannibal’s back, grabbed his cock and started to pump it slowly. Hannibal rested his head on Will's shoulder and sucked on his neck.

 

“Will... can you do something for me?” Hannibal asked, almost whispering.

 

“Anything” Will panted.

 

“Use this oil to open me, then take me”

 

Will stopped there. He'd never... 

 

“B-but I'm Omega and you're an Alpha a-and it's not-”

 

“Will, sex is to enjoy both of us. I want to and I want you to take me. Can you do it for me?”

 

“Have you ever... with another Alpha?”

 

“You'll be my first, as I was yours”

 

Hannibal turned around then and, on his knees, in front of Will, he could see his face. His usually expressionless face was now... vulnerable. Will knew he had to make the right choice or this would be a bridge no one would ever cross.

 

“Okay... uhm how...?”

 

Hannibal half smiled and kissed him. For all the Alphas who claimed their dominant and powerful nature, to let himself go and let his Omega mate take care of him, Hannibal was the bravest of them all.

 

“I lay on the bed, back to the mattress, you between my legs. It'll be easier for you”

 

“Then... fine”

 

Hannibal lay down and bent one knee. His wings unfolded, falling over the sides of the bed. He held up his hand, Will took and he was on top of Hannibal. He'd been there before... a lot, but not in Hannibal’s role. It wasn't technically “his” but Will's always been the receiving end and, being an Omega, he'd never thought otherwise.

Will's body, pressed into Hannibal’s, was comfortable and he was already hard with the grooming. Thrusting up, he encouraged his angel and Will started to kiss him, moving along. He lead the kiss and Hannibal just held his hips close to his own. His thighs squeezed Will's waist and brought him closer. Will kissed down his jaw and neck, nibbling here and there. Hannibal’s spread wings fluttered every time Will bit into his neck and his breath hitched. This encouraged Will and he pulled himself up with his hands and used one of them to run his fingers through Hannibal’s feathers. He shuddered and the oil came out, slicking his hand. Will's wings were almost touching the ceiling, as excited as he was he couldn't bring them down, all his muscles taut. 

He looked down into those maroon eyes, mottled in red drops, and sought his approval. Hannibal, open mouthed, nodded. And Will caressed his hard belly, scratching his navel on the way with his thumb and, after pumping Hannibal’s cock a few times, ran his hand to get more oil and brought his hand between his cheeks. 

 

“Circle and slick it first. Make me loose enough for three fingers, I don't think I need more stretching. The pain will be interesting”

 

“It is, but I have my own lubrication, so let me decide when I think you're ready” Will answered. Hannibal looked back at him, astonished for once, and Will laughed.

 

“Whatever you decide it is, Will”

 

Will kissed him again and entered one finger. The tightness and hotness were so much he wondered if he was like this every time Hannibal fucked him. He almost came right there.  
Hannibal moved his hand up and down his back, kneading and scratching sometimes. 

 

“Will... crook your finger a little up... more... there. Mmmh like that” Hannibal arched up and told him to add a second finger.

 

He rubbed inside, up and down until he remembered what Hannibal did to him and scissored his fingers. There wasn't a lot of space in, but Will managed to made Hannibal squirm and squeeze his legs. The muscles of his belly were strained and there were veins Will desired to kiss.  
He said why not and untangled from Hannibal’s legs to go down on the bed, positioned himself and licked around his cock and up his belly. Hannibal’s hands were on his hair. Will hummed and sucked a hickey there, midway navel and hipbone.

Will used is as a distraction to enter a third finger and pushed in and out. A wet sound from his mouth and a dark red circle was forming. Will licked the head of his cock and noticed how much Hannibal was straining himself from gagging him. Will thanked it, honestly, because he was so new at this.

So he sucked the head and licked up and down, the basics he'd learned the weekend, and he was satisfied with the sounds Hannibal was making.  
He pulled out and dragged more oil to slick his cock, aligned it with his Alpha's entrance, and pushed slowly. It was still tight, but Hannibal moaned instead of flinching or clenching. Hannibal had a great deal of self control and sex was something he apparently needed to control too. Will wished to change that, in time.

Once he was fully inside, he lowered down and kissed Hannibal again. It was addictive. His mouth and lips were addictive, and his body too. Alphas are taut and broad, strong and muscled. Hannibal didn't work them, he just went for a run a few times a week and the other exercise was sex. 

Will started to move slowly, hips still hesitating with the strength and tempo. He just let himself go when Hannibal bent his knees and that changed a little the angle. Still kissing, Will's tongue having fun in his mouth, Will moved faster and Hannibal was panting by the time they needed air.  
His head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes. Will rested his forehead between his neck and shoulder and he just moved, in and out, in and out. A hand on Hannibal’s cock and, seconds after, he clenched hard and came on Will's chest. Will was so caught off guard with the intensity, both physical and spiritual -their bond-, he came right there, wings fully spread. 

He was still inside Hannibal after the bond, nagging at his chest, calmed down.

Will pulled out and collapsed next to Hannibal. On his side, one leg over him and an arm stretched over his chest. He was breathing hard. And he looked exhausted but sated. Will rested his head on Hannibal’s shoulder and kissed him there.

 

“Thank you, Hannibal”

 

Hannibal petted his head and settled his hand there.

 

“You deserve this and more...”

 

“I deserve my Heat and I only get more frustrating dreams, tension and a mental breakdown”

 

“Let me ease some of your suffering”

 

“You just did”

 

“I have to go soon”

 

“Good things don't last” Will sighed. “Did I wound your masculinity or Alpha pride?”

 

Hannibal chuckled. “That's a myth”

 

 

Chris Dale, a businessman, walked down the white and pastel green of the corridor. The smell of the hospital, a mix of sickness, bleach and medicines, was heavy on his nose. It was disgusting. All these old and dying people. Mostly humans. Fragile things, these creatures. Demons and angels had to be careful around them.

Chris was too busy, running a company still growing. No time to waste with humans or demons. He had a mission now. The filthy nephilim bitch was here and the security was poor. No, he wouldn't do it now. Ne needed to get close, to make her feel safe around him. He was a predator, but he did like to play with them. They were stupid enough to trust an angel just because they were mated to them.  
Filthy creatures, these nephilims.

He entered the room, a bucket of roses in hand and a fake smile, well practiced, on his face. She was reading and she looked up hopeful. Expecting her mate, she found a total stranger. An angels, with his dark gray and black feathers spread out. He looked confused and looked around.

“One bed... no... uhmm. This is room 467, right?” he asked, innocence in his creamy voice.

 

“Yes, sir” she said. Her wings, ethereal now because she was still recovering from something, folded behind her.

 

“Oh, dear. I'm sorry, My friend's room must be one floor up or down. My mistake”

 

She smiled, indulgent, little thing. Her wings would break first. This one was weak.

 

“No problem”

 

“You're nephilim?”

 

She frowned. “Yeah”

 

“I didn't mean to be nosy, I just didn't know this hospital was good enough to treat nephilims”

 

“They have two specialized doctors” she explained.

 

“I'm Chris” he approached her, his hand held out for her to shake it.

 

“Abigail. Nice to meet you”

 

“Me too. Lovely name. Well, I'm sorry for this”

 

“It's okay. It's nice to see someone who's not wearing a uniform”

 

“A beauty like you with no admirers? Liar”

 

She laughed and blushed.

 

“No, I have company. It's just... work, you know?”

 

“I understand” he nodded absently and stared at the roses he had in hand. “Let's do something. My friend hasn't seen these yet, so half of them are for you” he divided the bucket, put them on her her and tied one with a rubber band. The other, he put it in an empty jar on the table. He filled a few cups of water and filled up half of the jar.

 

Abigail was protesting the whole time. He ignored her.

 

“Perfect” he moved back and admired his work “Now the beauty has the company of some flowers”

 

She laughed and hide her smile behind her hand. Ne nodded once at her direction, raised his eyebrows and smiled.

 

“I'm going to see my friend, now” he took the other roses and went to the door. Before leaving, she thanked him.

 

Walking out of the hospital, he threw the flowers between his car and a wall. Little he knew Abigail was looking at him throw the window, wings high and tense in annoyance. He wasn't the only one to play innocent. A fake smile behind bad intentions were as subtle as an elephant between ponies. 

 

 

Day five: Friday.

Will had a terrible headache at work. His classes where hell and his students chose that day to ask him questions about everything. Some of the Alphas were restless and Will had to sit a few times, sigh and ask them to just look at the notes.   
He had lunch with Beverly, both Omegas looking for some comfort and understanding. Beverly said it was reckless of him coming there with his Heat so close. Damned demons and their supernatural noses.

He came home at sic, walked the dogs long enough to have them content and went back inside. It was cold and he was sweating. Winston and Coffee barked him for no reason and they went to sniff the other dogs. Will shrugged and heated up the dinner Hannibal cooked for him the other day.

He smiled. Hannibal was unusual for every race, nephilim and, basically, any creature in the Universe. He hadn't heard of Alphas letting their Omegas to fuck them. It was a change. And Will liked it. Sex was good. Sharing feelings or thoughts wasn't a waste with Hannibal and Will thanked God for that. He was tired of normal people. Angels, demons, humans... all the same. There were exceptions, but nephilims were much more interesting. Hannibal was a very rare nephilim and he was his mate.  
Will touched his chest. A bond was there, growing strong every day.

The phone rang.

 

“Will Graham”

 

“Will? It's Abigail”

 

“Hi. Are you alright?” 

 

“Yeah it's just... ugh. A dude came here today. He was acting weird and he gave me flowers. He threw the rest of them in the parking lot. He was weird and looked dangerous. Calm, but dangerous. Could you come around sometime and see if you can... you know. Do your thing. You're pretty good at it, right?”

 

Will agreed to go Sunday morning. He needed some sleep that night and she complied. He missed Abigail, too.

 

He went to bed soon, with good memories of Hannibal lying on his bed, and had a dreamless sleep. A feeling of vertigo woke him up, startled him when he found he was still in bed. The clock marked 6:37 am and it was still dark out there. He was covered in sweat and... he was so hot. His mouth felt dry and his eyelids were heavy. He was panting but no dream came to him to remember why he was like this.  
He understood when he tried to move and a slick sound came from his behind. He was wet and almost leaking.

 

“I'm in Heat”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hit me for Bottom!Hannibal


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heat, the killer and Abigail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, the beginning of the Murder Family is here!!

The bond woke him up. The bond dragged him out of his mind palace, Mischa's hand slipping from his own. “Anniba!” she screams. But Hannibal can't do anything now, he's struggling to keep his own scream from going out. He grips the sheets and his back arches in a searing pain that slashes through his back.  
It's been years since he's had this dream. He thought he was safe. But Mischa was dead and nothing would change that. How fool he was. 

He lay on the bed and panted until he remembered how to stop, how to make his heart go slow. Then he thinks... the dream wasn't enough to wake him up. He jumped out of bed and, barefoot, checked the whole house, silent as a shadow. Will wasn't there.  
Then the phone rings and it's him.

 

“Hannibal, please...”

 

“Will, are you okay? Is there a problem?”

 

“I... I'm sorry if I woke you up, but...” he groaned.

 

“Will?”

 

“The Heat. Hannibal, I'm in Heat. Please, this is torture, come home...” his voice is so low he can barely hear. 

 

“In heat, Will? Are you in heat?”

 

“Yes, goddammit!” 

 

“I'll be there in an hour”

 

Will groans and Hannibal set all he's going to need for the next three days. He called Crawford, who's already in the Bureau, and tells him the news. He's not happy about it, but the policy for Mates in Heat also applies in the FBI.  
He gathered food from the freezer, clothes and the special gift he bought for Will, still wrapped up in a brown and red paper. He put everything in a bag and got in the car. The trip is one and a half hour but he could make it in one.

Will is in Heat. His first heat. He can't scare him, he can't traumatize him, he thinks. He must be careful and thoughtful with what he does or says.   
He knew many Alphas treat their mates as filth when they're in Heat. They're hurtful and rough and senseless, causing the Omega to think less of themselves. He couldn't do that to Will. He needed Will to be strong. The bond would make it hard on him to hurt Will, but he only hoped to restrain himself. His instincts didn't want to make him kill Will, just to keep him between life and death. That was dangerous and, Will being vulnerable, could cause him death.  
He shuddered. Seeing Will dead was ugly. He couldn't kill him, nor provoking anything that might kill him. He was so alone until he found Will.

Finally, he made it in less than an hour. He opened the door -Will have him a key- and let the dogs out, knowing they would be out for a long time. They loved to walk soon in the morning with Will. They would be alone this time.  
The moment he stepped in the house, the sweet scent of Will mixed with the most exquisite Heat he'd ever smelt hit him. He was already excited.

 

“Hannibal...” a soft moan came from Will's bedroom.

 

He fumbled with his clothes and threw the coat and jacket on the couch. With trembling hands he opened the door and the concentration of scents was there. It made his mouth water.  
Will was there, on the bed. He was naked under the sheets, face down, grinding his hips to the mattress. His curls stuck to his face and neck with sweat.   
His wings, ethereal now that he couldn't control them to be fully hidden, were spread over him. To bring the wings into this dimension, some energy had to be wasted, and an Omega in Heat had no energies, at all, to waste. It was dangerous too, if they were tangible, for they could be damaged.  
Hannibal could smell he'd been leaking on the sheets. He could see the dark spots on the bed and the thin sheet over his back.

 

“Will” he whispered. His voice was hoarse and Will responded with a needy moan. He turned around with a grunt, only the tips of his wings visible at both sides of the mattress.

The sheet was caught under his side and slipped slowly when he turned, revealing his sweaty torso and how hard he was.

 

“Please” he begged, spreading his legs. 

 

Hannibal’s nostrils flared and he closed his eyes, breathing in the scents of Will. He disrobed as quickly as he could and climbed on the end of the bed, crawling towards Will, stopping only to kiss and lick here and there. Will's thighs were delicious and he couldn't help thinking how would they actually taste. They were tender, but strong, and the inside was soft and, when Hannibal bit there, the mark of his teeth was surrounded with purple immediately.  
As most Omegas, Will lacked of hair in almost all his body. The little he had, besides facial hair, was soft and light around his cock, where Hannibal’s mouth was busy.

The taste of Will was strong now in the beginning of his heat. His hands gripped Hannibal’s hair and neck. Hannibal ran his hand over his belly, soon full his seed. Will wouldn't get pregnant, though. Not yet. Hannibal, being a Nephilim with his double heritage, wasn't infertile, but it would be hard to get Will pregnant. In eight years he'd been with his human mate, she was convinced she was sterile. 

He put those thoughts apart and dedicated his whole being in Will. He pulled out, Will almost growling, and positioned himself between his legs. 

“Will, the knot will hurt at first, but you must be strong” he said, looking at Will in the eyes. He nodded, but Hannibal didn't think he was fully aware of much of what was happening around him.

Hannibal lined himself up and entered him slowly. No preparation was needed. The moment Will was in Heat, the passage for conception was open and it secreted a liquid, mixed with his natural lubrication, that allowed to relax and stretch naturally his inner muscles. The inner orifice, halfway an Omega male's rectum, was open only in heats, every six months, none during pregnancy, and one year after the birth it went back to normal.

Only Alphas, Omegas and doctors of both sides knew this. It was a mystery for the rest of the world and it would better stay that way.

 

“Please, move faster” Will cried, hands on the small of Hannibal’s back, urging him to move. Will was so hot inside, and, no matter what lubrication he used, tight. 

 

Hannibal kissed Will, hard. His mouth was as wet as his insides. Will bit his lips and tongue, trying to decide what he wanted from him, and settled on playing with his tongue. Their bodies, flushed one against the other, moved frantically for a few minutes, Will's moaning filling the room. Hannibal gripped tight the headboard and thrust so hard that it banged the wall every time until Will came, arching his back and baring his neck. He clenched so hard, Hannibal came within seconds, startled with the feeling, and started to swell. Will cried out and Hannibal brought his legs around his waist.

 

“The closer we are, the better for you, Will” he explained. Then he started to move to their sides but Will stopped him.

 

“I like it this way. You won't crush me”

 

And Hannibal obeyed. The knot was almost inside, stretching Will more than ever. There were tears in his eyes, and his jaw was tense. Hannibal kissed and sucked at his neck, the pheromones making him want to taste him and never letting him go.  
He kept mumbling apologies for the pain he was suffering, but he could only kiss and hold him until it was all over. The first Heat was always hard.

After fifteen minutes, Hannibal was as tired as Will was. His cock still pumping hot semen inside him. The uterus would absorb it and, the more it filled, the higher the chances to be pregnant. 

 

“How are you doing?” Will asked, his voice more like his own now. He was writhing now, hard again.

 

“I'm fantastic. I've been coming inside you, Will, for twenty minutes now”

 

“Being sarcastic is rude”

 

Hannibal chuckled and, carefully, thrust a few times. The knot was starting to disappear. Will clang to him, arms over his shoulder, and with a low moan, he came again. 

 

A few minutes later, both free from Hannibal’s knot, Will was taking a shower while Hannibal fed the dogs. Winston was the only one trailing behind him after eating. Hannibal was changing the sheets when the dog jumped on the mattress and rolled on it. Hannibal frowned and stood there, in the middle of the room, confused. He couldn't talk to a dog, the animal wouldn't understand. But he couldn't either call Will. He tried to shoo Winston away with his hands but the dog just moved the tail and growled.

Will was laughing at the doorway.

Hannibal straightened his back and, proud as always, didn't say anything, he just arched an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, come on! That was funny” he said, coming closer. He was in underwear and barefoot. Will smelled clean but also of himself... in heat.

 

“I don't see how. He growled at me”

 

“He's asking for a good petting” Will explained, one knee on the mattress. He held a hand and Hannibal took it, instantly pulling him at his side. “Touch him”

 

Hannibal hesitated but placed a hand on the dog's ribs. 

 

“That's the way you touch a rock”

 

“You're never satisfied, right?”

 

“Very funny” Will chuckled and placed his own hand on top of Hannibal’s. He moved them up and down Winston's belly and neck. Then Will moved on his own and let him pet the dog. 

 

Hannibal had to admit the fur was soft and pleasant. His tail moved and Hannibal smiled, not realizing it until Will was smiling at him. He leaned in and kissed his lips.

 

“Damn... I need to call Jack”

 

“I already phoned him. He was in the FBI very soon. Don't worry, he told them you're in Heat”

 

“He...” Will blushed.

 

“It's a formality, Will”

 

“I know”

 

“Come on, let's have some breakfast” he was starting to stand when Will grabbed his elbow.

 

“Wait... what if I'm pregnant by the end of this?” his voice was barely audible and he looked to lost.

 

“You won't. It's difficult to impregnate a nephilim or to get someone pregnant if you're a nephilim. I'm “double-nephilim”, Will. It means you won't likely get pregnant. I'm sorry” he didn't know why he apologized. Surely Will wouldn't want to have children with him, even if he was his mate.   
But there was so much more underneath. How would Will accept him as the father of their children if there were more secrets than shared experiences between them?

He didn't realize he was sending those feelings to Will through the bond until it was too late. Will hugged him.

 

“Hey... I've got you. What's wrong? Is it because I might not be pregnant?” he nuzzled at Hannibal’s neck. “It's okay. I don't think it's a good idea, for now. I wouldn't be the best dad anyways. I'm happy with just the two of us. We... We still need to know each other, don't we?”

Hannibal looked up and nodded, then Winston came closer and licked his cheek. Will laughed and Hannibal wished he could hear that laugh forever.

 

“Now that I have you, the prospect of losing you is real and that scares me”

 

He didn't want to see what Will was thinking of him in that moment. If Hannibal looked up maybe his mask would fall and the monster that he was could be revealed. He would lose Will and he couldn't kill him.

 

“If you're done with your inner monologue, please, let me know because I'm closer to the next wave and you said something about breakfast before”

 

The building was white and gray, a huge squared white box. There were trees around the road that led to the parking. It looked like a laboratory or a pharmacy store.   
Freddie didn't like it.

She parked close to the entrance, two big doors guarded by two angels. Betas. Not friendly. She smiled at them when they saw her eyes and flinched. They were new on Earth.

 

“I'm not here to summon Satan, guys. Besides, I have an appointment with CEO Chris Dale. I'm Freddie Lounds”

 

They let her in.

Angels everywhere. A few humans, no nephilims and, certainly, no demons. All of them sensed her presence. Some of them spread their wings. Idiots.   
She took the elevator and there was another human, a male human, very distressed.

 

“Hi”

 

He mumbled a greeting and kept juggling with his papers and portfolios.

 

“Hey, buddy, let me help you” she took half of his load and he thanked her. He was cute, very young. She remembered his name. “You're Matthew, right?”

 

He looked up and recognized her too.

“You're... Freddie?” his face changed and he looked way younger. 

 

“Yes, I am”

 

“You're Wendy's mate!. Oh my, Wendy is fantastic, I really love her. She's the reason I'm working here!”

 

“Yes, I know! She's told me about you. She says you're one of the decent ones on her work section”

 

“Oh, she's very kind” he blushed. “Are you here for her? It's too soon. And, well, it's not my business, but everyone knowing she's mated to a demon... no offense”

 

“Oh no, darling, it's okay. I'm here for an interview with your boss”

 

All humor disappeared form his face.

“Oh...”

 

“I know. He's been acting weird and I'm afraid you're all in danger. Just act normal until I find out why. Be careful, okay, Matthew?”

 

“Yeah, sure... it's Matt”

 

“Matt, then” she smiled and they both walked to his desk. 

 

She headed to Chris Dale's office. She knocked and a voice let her in. once inside she noticed everything in the room. It was minimalist, white and soft tones of gray. No pictures, just titles and a Renaissance drawing. Michael was stabbing Lucifer with a long sword, his wings spread in rage. She set her jaw and greeted Chris Dale. His black and white wings folded behind him. He turned around with a cup of steamy coffee and held his hand. She shook hands and sat without being told.

 

“So, Miss Lounds”

 

“Mr. Dale”

 

“You were very cryptic when you called. What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

 

“It's just a few questions to solve a mystery. For an article I'm writing, you see”

 

“Oh yes” he chuckled. He laughed but his eyes were as dead as his sympathy. Smiling, his cheekbones looked even sharper. She kept a straight face. He reeked of anger. “The TattleCrime” 

 

“Exactly. You know, it's not unusual to follow the clues and find out a powerful man as you are behind them”

 

The tip of his tongue appeared between his teeth. She remembered a snake sniffing its prey.

 

“Often it's a misunderstanding, Miss Lounds”

 

“Not when there are witnesses”

 

“What are you implying?”

 

“You have a policy of no demons or Nephilims working for you” no response. “I can't imagine why”

 

“A mere coincidence. No demon or Nephilim wants to work for angels”

 

“You don't know that”

 

“I know enough”

 

They were going nowhere like this. Try a different tactic. 

 

“I've heard you have demon friends, Mr. Dale”

 

“It's not unusual”

 

“Do they help you with your business here?”

 

“No”

 

“There's one friend of yours...” she opened her purse and took a picture of a man. His eyes were foggy. A demon. “He's called Pavel. He disappeared a few days ago, am I wrong?”

 

A vein in his neck pulsed.

 

“Sometimes he does that” he said slowly, trying to contain his annoyance. 

 

“You don't know how to contact him? I do, Mr. Dale. He has a girlfriend, a human. She was with him the night he disappeared. She opened the window to say goodbye to him one last time and she swears she saw a man over him”

 

“Do I have to call the police, Miss Lounds? You're not allowed to come here to throw accusations at me”

 

She smiled and shook her head.

 

“I don't think it was you. He was under your protection, but he got himself in trouble. And I know you're trying to catch whoever has him”

 

“He's a good friend”

 

“He knows something you don't want-”

 

“Get out”

 

“-and you're terrified, because your empire will fall if-”

 

“GET OUT!” he stood, red in rage, wings hitting the walls and papers flying everywhere.

 

Freddie was terrified but she was used to the feeling. She stood up slowly, took Pavel's picture and walked out of the office. She blinked at a terrified Matt and she tried not to run on her way to her car. She was shaking by the time she got out of there.

Freddie didn't know what were Dale's business, but she was sure it was nothing good. She needed to get Wendy out of there.

She got home and she was alone. Wendy was still visiting a friend. She brought her laptop and added what she found out. Pavel's girlfriend, a cocaine addict, swore she saw a man taking her boyfriend. The man was well dressed and Chris Dale fit with the description but he was at home that night, she checked. He wasn't the suspect unless Pavel knew something and Chris didn't want to get his hands dirty. No, it wasn't Chris. She needed to find the motive.   
She sighed and reclined on her chair. She was too tired for this. It was soon and she left a note for Wendy, saying she was going to be home before lunch.

She drove to the Hospital. Abigail Hobbs was still an enigma, but the girl was clever and she was hiding something. Freddie suspected she knew what her father did but she doubted Abigail agreed with it. If Abigail told the FBI she knew, they would inculpate her as an accomplice. Freddie didn't like the idea. The girl wasn't entirely innocent but human laws were just stupid. 

The hospital was full today and she went in without trouble. Abigail was reading.

 

“Hello, Abigail”

 

“I said I don't want to-”

 

“I'm not here for that”

 

“Oh” she let the book at her side and jumped out of bed. She put on a scarf and sat at an auxiliary table. Freddie sat in front of her.

 

“Has the FBI come yet?”

 

“No, and I don't know why would they”

 

“You could have helped your father. They might think you killed them, too”

 

“That's ridiculous” her big blue eyes avoided hers.

 

“No, it's not. Abigail, I want to help you”

 

“I already have help”

 

“You mean Will Graham?” her voice was as bitter as her feeling for the angel. Someday he will put a body and all evidence will scream Will Graham.

 

“And Dr. Lecter. I'm bonded to him, so he'll have legal tutelage soon. He's busy now with his mate”

 

“How so?”

 

“Will's personal life is not something I want you to know”

 

“Okay, Abigail... If you want me to help, please, don't doubt to call me”

 

“How can you help me? The TattleCrime is tabloid press”

 

“And there's a chance people might get to know you the way you want. Innocent, Abigail”

 

“I am innocent, I have nothing to prove” she crossed her arms, protecting herself from something Freddie didn't know yet. “If we're done, I have to talk to the nurses”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“It's just there's too many people going in and out of this room without permission”

 

Freddie feared the families of the victims of The Shrike might want revenge.

 

“Have they tried to hurt you?”

 

“No, there was a man but he was acting weird. He brought flowers for a friend but after leaving my room he just left from the Hospital and threw the flowers away. He could have been a journalist. Was he one of yours?”

 

“I'm freelance, I trust no one but me” Freddie chuckled. 

 

“Good advice” she laughed.

 

“Did he say a name? I could take a look at him” she might have to call the police to report a pervert.

 

“Just Chris. Well, he was very interested on me being a Nephilim and the specialized doctors they have here. Those flowers over there are his. He was tense. An angel”

 

Freddie was breathless. The description was of Chris Dale. There was the disdain towards Nephilims and the contained hostility. The roses were still fresh.

 

“Abigail... if he ever comes near you, call the police. I can't tell you much but I'm following this man and he's dangerous”

 

Abigail parted her lips but she said nothing. She just nodded. Clever girl, she had suspected of him, too.

 

It was past five o'clock when Alana parked in front of Will's house. He'd been missing for two days now and Jack Crawford was in Minnesota with the team, including Beverly. It'd be inappropriate to call any of them in the middle of an investigation.   
No one told him why Will wasn't working so she called Hannibal Lecter and, surprise! He wasn't at home or the office. So she decided to go after Will and ask him.   
If he was having troubles sleeping or eating -sometimes he forgot to eat, too- Alana had to act like a mother. She was about to knock when she heard noises. Panting and grunting. And... her eyes opened to fast her head hurt. The smell... he was in Heat!

She turned around and... there it was. Hannibal’s car. She ran to her own car, a hand in front of her mouth and nose. She didn't want to act on her Alpha instincts without a mate close.

 

Inside Will's house, oblivious to all, Hannibal was being held down to the mattress by a very possessive Omega. Will, on his second day of Heat, was acting frantic and desperate. He wouldn't let Hannibal control him and the doctor wasn't complaining, at all.   
Will was pining his hands over his head, straddling his hips and impaling on his cock, panting. He felt instant relief when he sat and leaned down to lick Hannibal’s lips and the tip of his nose, giving a playful bite before starting to bounce on top of him. All Hannibal could do was enjoy to the last minute.

That morning Will woke him up sucking him off and he'd been desperate for more for hours, even after knotting him three times in a row.

There was nothing like an Omega in heat being possessive, and he definitely loved it. He just hoped Will would tire soon.

Drops of sweat were running over Will's chest and belly, the taut muscles there and on his legs straining him to exhaustion. But Will wouldn't stop, not yet. He leaned in again and demanded Hannibal’s mouth to open to lick and bite at his tongue. One of Hannibal’s hands slipped free from his grip and pumped Will's cock, Will whining until he clenched and came with a moan. Hannibal growled when the knot was forming inside Will, his belly having spasms.

 

“Will, you need to rest” he said, petting Will's curls. He had slumped over him after coming and he wasn't going to move anytime soon.

 

“I'm resting” he mumbled, nibbling at Hannibal’s neck.

 

Hannibal laughed and let him sleep until the knot faded. He needed a shower. Or two.  
Once Will's breathing told him he was sound asleep, the let his emotions out. The sooner he told Will what he was, the better. But he couldn't just say it. He needed a plan, something Will cared for and couldn't abandon even with his secret. He knew Will loved Abigail, but how could he use it in his advantage? 

Only...

What did he know about her? When he joined souls with her, before Will came in, he saw a glimpse of feelings and memories. She was there when her father chose his victims, she was the one to talk to them and take them to their death traps.   
But Will didn't know, and so he'd hide it from him when he joined souls with them to save Abigail. Will loved her now, and he was drawn to save her whatever happened to her. Hannibal needed to bring her home -and Will's house, too- to strengthen the bonds. When he revealed whet he was, Will would see family as the three of them so he wouldn't do anything to split them. 

Abigail was the answer. 

But he didn't know Abigail was in danger.

 

Jack Crawford, the guru, as everyone knew him, didn't feel like a guru, at all. He was in the middle of a pile of bodies, brutally shredded to a pulp without a distinction of anything. DNA's were mixed and all they could do was to track a crazy murderer by the evidence he or she left around this mess.

He was in the hotel room, surrounded by bloody photographs. And he was half drunk. And he wanted to go home, were Bella was dying. He had to leave her with two angel nurses and a doctor, also angel, to discover her disease. Angels were pretty much immortals and there wasn't human diseases they could get. And yet there she was, dying. 

The day he knew about Graham and Dr. Lecter was the day Bella told him. And he was pretty upset by the time Alana told him. He had screwed up with Will, too, later. They didn't deserve that. 

Back to the photographs, he realized they needed Will Graham, but he was in Heat. Fucking angel anatomy. 

He sighed and lay down to sleep, only to dream of Bella dying over and over again...

 

Freddie went home at night, and Wendy screamed at her until she was crying. She was so scared something had happened to her... Matt called her telling her Freddie had been at the office and Chris got almost violent.

Freddie told her she'd been following Dale after she went to the Hospital. Dale had a workshop in the town, in a problematic street with problematic people. He'd been there for hours and, when she'd tried to open the doors, she noticed a spell that only the angel who made could undo.   
Wendy screamed at her five minutes more. 

 

“Don't go back to work. He's too dangerous. Do you hear me? He has something to do with all this shit that's going on with the FBI and that serial killer. I'm not saying he's the killer, maybe it was the Russian demon. I don't know. Just... stay away and be safe. Stay home. Or come with me, or not-”

 

“Okay” she said. She looked sad. Freddie lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly.

 

“I need you safe, baby”

 

The next day, around ten o'clock, two things happened at the same time. 

Will was waking up from a short sleep, listening to a voice he recognized very well. There was the smell of eggs and sausages and mixed spices. He got out bed, slowly. He was aching all over, sore and so very satisfied he seemed to be in a cloud. His wings were still ethereal so he suspected this was the last day. He hoped so. He needed to work and help Jack with the serial killer. 

 

“Will? Are you awake?”

 

“Yes! I'm coming” he washed his face and looked in the mirror. There was no difference. No circles under his eyes and nothing weird. He didn't know what to look for or why, either. 

 

When he walked into the kitchen, Hannibal was already at the table, Winston's head... on his knee. He cocked his head but let it go. He liked this.  
He sat in front of him and ate like he'd been starving for days. Hannibal was smirking when he looked up.

 

“Sorry, I'm hungry”

 

“It's okay, Will”

 

“Who was it? At the phone?”

 

“Abigail. She called to ask how are you. I told her you were in Heat and she was worried”

 

“Oh”

 

“She's sixteen. She knows what a heat is”

 

“Yeah, I know, it's just... weird”

 

“I'm going to be his tutor, legally. I signed the papers a few days ago. They called and said it'll be legal in two days”

 

Will smiled. It didn't reach his eyes.

 

“Once we're fully mated you'll be her tutor, too. That means we'll be parents in two days. How do you feel?”

 

“How do you feel? No, sorry, that was mean...” Will sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I actually think it's great. I don't have to be pregnant just yet. I'm not prepared, anyways. Let's see how well it goes with Abigail. She's a good girl”

 

Hannibal nodded. He had a knot in his stomach and refused to eat more. He still feared Will didn't like the idea.

 

“I want her to live with me when I'm home, I'd like you to come with us, but it's too soon. So I have an idea. She sleeps here a few days and then she comes with me the same time. We could be together, whether at my home or here at yours. Let's see how well it goes for a few weeks and then we'll decide what's best for all of us”

He raised an eyebrow and stood up to clean the dishes. Will sighed and thought about it for a few minutes. He stood up and embraced Hannibal from behind, hands on his chest. He smelled like “his”.

 

“I'm okay with that. When is she allowed to come with us?”

 

“Two more days...”

 

At the other side of the city, Abigail Hobbs was finishing her book when a nurse came to change her IV and check her vitals. The nurse injected something along her medicine that made her sleep. She woke up two hours late with her neck sore, the wound open and her hands tied up over her head. Her wings and legs were tied to tight it hurt her back. She couldn't see or scream.  
A metallic door opened and she screamed through the bond, too weak to do anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that...
> 
>  
> 
> Do you want to meet Chris Dale and why is that his name...?
> 
> http://collider.com/wp-content/image-base/People/C/Chrisrian_Bale/Christian%20Bale%20image%20(1).jpg


	11. Chapter 7, part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 guys. It's too long and the next part will come in onw or two days!
> 
> Uhmmm no sexy times. Angsty but not forever, okay?

The third day of Will's Heat passed in a blur of quiet, languid lovemaking. Will wasn't demanding anymore, he just asked for more in a soft voice, eyes half closed. Hannibal was able to recover from last day, when Will was so possessive.  
Will thought he had no rights to ask for all the attention he'd needed these days, but Hannibal didn't left. Next time, if it was too much for Hannibal, he wouldn't make him pass through this again. It was tiring, even for him.

Once, Will had asked Hannibal to take him hard so he could wake up from this stupid blurry state. Hannibal had laughed but refused, arguing he was too tired. Will had felt so embarrassed he covered himself with the sheets. That time they made love under the sheets until it was too hot.

So Will could have another heat like this. He wouldn't get pregnant, either, not with Hannibal’s heritage. Now, resting on his side, his back pressed to Hannibal’s chest in a tight embrace, he thought it wouldn't be that bad to have his kids. But first, they needed to try parenting with Abigail. That child needed parents, soon. Will cursed his damned Heat. They would've had her sooner if not for the Heat.  
He sighed and huddled closer to Hannibal, still sleeping. He felt so bad for him... 

Their souls, finally connected, hummed in contentment. This could be good. Something in Will's life could be good at last.

Until, of course, Jack had to call. 

It was getting clearer through the windows of the first day after his Heat and Will felt to alive and his mind was so lucid. There was the bond, strong and linked with their souls. Emotions passed from one to another, light fingers brushing with each other. It was bliss.  
The ringing woke them up. Will, naked, limped to the living room and picked up the phone. Jack's voice was rough when he said Abigail had been kidnapped.

Will's knees gave in and he hit the floor, trying to get a hold on the couch. Hannibal, sensing his distress, put on his underwear and lifted him to sit next to him, scowling. Bad news, then... Maybe the killer had raped and tortured to death another poor Nephilim. 

 

“Yes, I'm coming right now”

 

Will stared at the phone for a minute until hot tears betrayed him. Hannibal forced Will to look at him and Will just cried over his bare shoulder.

 

“T-the killer... he-he's got her”

 

“Who?”

 

“Ab... Abigail” Will was so furious. His fists, tight against Hannibal’s chest, trembled.

 

Hannibal’s mind was running fast, trying to tell him this was nonsense. Abigail was safe in the hospital. There were guards on her floor and... What was he thinking? He should have took her out of there before Will's Heat. He was a fool. He'd acted foolishly and now Abigail was paying for his stupidity. He'd trusted them with his daughter's life. She was his daughter by bond, if not by humans laws, by angels laws.

He had lost her like he'd lost M... ¡NO! Hannibal, rocking Will on his arms, had to find the strength to kill the shout that was forming in his throat. 

 

“We can't stay here all day, Will”

 

“I know” he was calm now, deadly calm.

 

“I... I'm sorry for this, but I have work to do, and so you do. Will, we're going to find Abigail”

 

Two hours later, Will was walking the corridors of the hospital, fast strides and resolution on his face like a war mask. He needed to use his gift. He needed to find Abigail alive.  
The killer had been here, he knew. He must have seen them together and mistaken them as a bonded couple. Will was an angel and Abigail was a Nephilim. The killer had Abigail for, wrongly so, believing he was doing a favor to the race. So. Wrong. 

Once he was inside, he let his soul tracing the room. There was Abigail's vestige. It was warm and blue at the eyes of his mind. Blue like her eyes.  
She'd felt something; there was a strong spike in the middle of calculating fear. The fear was not from Abigail. The fear was familiar and felt safe here. The one who felt fear was feeling it so hard, there was residual energy around it. It was in the hospital.   
He lay on her bed and placed his hand on the bar, to his left. He turned around. There was the IV, still hanging there, dead without someone to cure. He frowned. He heard a light tapping. He stood and he slipped on something on the floor. It fell from the IV.

Someone, the one spilling fear, had drugged her. One of the nurses. Human. Of course. 

He went to ask the receptionist a list of the nurses and doctors on this floor of yesterday's shift. He could discard males, angels, Nephilims and demons. He could start somewhere. 

 

“Mr. Graham?” a sweet voice from behind. He turned around. A pair of black eyes with gray clouds in them, greeted him. The red demon, he called her.

 

“My last favorite person in the world” he snapped at her.

 

“Glad to see you too”

 

“Now it's not a good time to-”

 

“I'm here to help you find Abigail”

His expression softened. He didn't like her, and she would probably use this for the TattleCrime. But if he used the FBI, that might spur the killer, get him nervous and kill her sooner. Jack could investigate with his team, but Will was going to find her. Yes, he could swallow his pride and accept Freddie's help.

 

“Fine. Don't ask questions. It's a female, human. She's probably scared to death and regrets doing what she's done. If you find her, bring her to me. We meet here in forty minutes”

 

“Your abilities are amazing, Mr. Graham. See you in forty minutes”

 

Will interviewed seven nurses and two doctors. Only one nurse gave him a name. Annie Schmidt. She wasn't supposed to be last night in the hospital and she was very picky. He was in the meeting spot ten minutes before time. Freddie was there, eyes completely black. Her face paler than usual.

“You're not gonna like this”

 

“What?”

 

“Annie Schmidt, the nurse who drugged Abigail last night, has killed herself in front of me. She was so scared she wouldn't go to the police.”

 

“She...”

 

“She gave me a name”

 

Abigail wakes up slowly. She can't see. She can't move. She can't scream. Her body aches all over. There's warm blood running over her neck, shoulder and chest. Her wings hurt, tied in iron chains in a stinging angle. Her arms and wings, chained, are holding her there's some dripping near her and that's the only sound in the darkness. She tries to pull at the chains, to no avail. But she doesn't panic. And she doesn't know why.

Abigail knows she's lost blood, again. And she's hungry and thirsty. But she knows she won't get any. She would've been chained to the floor, arms and feet free if whoever had her wanted to keep her safe. No ransom to recover then. They wanted to kill her.  
She bit hard the piece of cloth in her mouth, tied tight around her head. She should have asked Hannibal to go with him. She was so stupid to believe the hospital would keep her safe...

She heard footsteps. Then a metallic sound and a heavy door opening. She could see some light through the blindfold. One single light bulb lit up the room. The black form -with wings- got closer. He didn't hurry, though. The blindfold fell on the floor. She had to blink a few times before she could see anything.  
She was still drugged.

There he was. Chris. The guy from the hospital. She should have known.

 

“Good morning, bitch”

 

How original. 

 

“Oh no, no, no. you can't talk. You don't deserve it. Let me introduce myself. I'm Christopher. Chris Dale on Earth. I'm an angel and I've come with a divine purpose. To clean our race from the sins of my brothers and sisters. You are the result of a sin, too. Don't feel bad, there are many of you, sadly” he kept looking at her. He didn't move. He didn't show any emotion but disgust. She suppressed a shiver.

“You see, they've labeled me as a killer, but I'm a savior. A hero. Because angels need one after my brother Michael. I'm here now. To erase the plague of Nephilims. Dirty little creatures. Weak and eerie. You're not my father's work”

 

She glared at him. She's never felt inferior. No one had discriminated her for being who she was. This angel was crazy. A fanatic.

 

“You're wondering why you're here. You're a Nephilim. But not only that. I know Nephilims don't mate so often. But those who do, with an angel, are endangering the species. You do it” 

 

She frowned. Mated? She wasn't mated. There was no one in her life except her new family. A family she failed. She should have told them she needed them.

 

“You and that angel. Will Graham. A lovely nurse told me he's an FBI agent of some sorts. Impressive. And he shouldn't be yours, dear”

 

He got her hands out of his pockets and gripped her neck. He pressed the wound and she screamed. A searing pain went through her body. She couldn't do anything. 

He laughed and wiped his hands clean on her hospital gown, chuckling. She was trembling and the chains clinked.  
Abigail wanted to scream. She wasn't Will's mate. He was Hannibal’s mate... no. she couldn't say it. If she told him that, Chris would go after Hannibal. No. Not him. Not him, please. She could endure this torture for the man who saved her. And for Will. Will saved her too. She cried, missing their presence and their souls. She felt the bond shrinking out of fear and she sobbed.   
He mistook her crying for the pain he inflicted her. 

 

“Well, I'm leaving now. Fun will start tomorrow. But first...” he turned around and walked to a work bench. There were tools and boxes with stained knives.   
He retrieved a fine hunting knife, like the one her father bought her a year ago, for her birthday. He walked slowly to her and ran the tip of the knife from chest to navel. Then he gripped hard her wing and cut her gown. He threw it across the room and stared at her body, now displayed at his pleasure. He smirked.

 

“Don't look at me like that. That fun is for the last part” he reached behind her and pulled at a level that allowed her to sit on the floor. It was a relief. But her wings were still trapped and she couldn't even hide them.

 

He left the room in darkness again an left. She could only think of a revenge, because she was alone and no one would save her. She'd heard the news. This killer kept them for three or four days and then dropped their severed bodies somewhere public. The FBI wouldn't rescue her. She was alone. Hannibal and Will couldn't save her this time. She was alone.

 

Two patients that morning and Abigail was still at a killer's mercy. He felt powerless. He should be out there, helping the FBI. They could consult him, but they knew he had a bond with her and he wouldn't be objective. He could be as impersonal as a robot but they didn't know that.   
Will couldn't do anything for the same reason. They didn't trust him, having feelings in the case. 

Still, he had to remain as calm as possible, or he might lose his head. Abigail was, with Will, the only light in his life. He'd found a family. He lived for them now. He had a purpose. They couldn't rip them from him now.   
He found himself reaching out for his Mind Palace. The only place he could feel whatever he wanted. But it didn't come to him. It stunned him. That had never happened before.

It only lead him to a turmoil of dark thoughts. He should have took her then. She was already feeling better and she only needed rest. She could have rest in his house, with decent food and a good bed.   
But now she was missing. And they were lost. The FBI suspected of a relative of one of the Hobbs' victims. Hannibal wasn't against it, but they would have killed her there, brutally. It would've been a mess. It wasn't right. The killer had planned this.

Maybe it was competition. Maybe another like him. Maybe that killer was jealous or trying to get his attention.  
Well. He could send a message too.

He grabbed his bag, the one behind a closet, and looked for the visiting card he wanted. This man, an angel who loved little kids, was going to have a bad ending. He was a respectable man in his community, by opening the first orphanage for angels, Nephilims and demons alike.   
Hannibal couldn't deal with this man before. He'd been out of Baltimore for months. He was back and his tormenting little kids was over. Hannibal had a daughter now. He couldn't bear the thought of someone molesting her and he would do anything for her now. 

He found the angel two hours later and had all his organs pulled out in less than ten minutes. During that time, he was allowed to enter his Mind Palace only to play the music he loved. The music made everything more pleasurable, swift and fluid. It took him to memories and feelings long past.   
He didn't use gloves this time. Oh no. he wanted to feel the warmth go away. The blood on his hands and a taste of what he wanted to do to Abigail's kidnapper. 

The body was found an hour later by a teacher of the orphanage. Some kids cried, happy to see themselves free from humiliation. Hannibal went back home and played on his harpsichord until he received a call from Will. He said he was busy on the FBI, having found a whiff of the Chesapeake Ripper, after three years of nothing. Jack was almost hysterical.

 

“Anything from Abigail?”

 

“They won't let me take the case”

 

“That's not what I meant” Hannibal heard him laugh.

 

“Well, I'm on my own with this and... yes, I have information. I can't do anything now and it's stressful”

 

“Tell me what you know”

 

If Will had found something useful...

 

“I went to the hospital this morning. Freddie Lounds helped me find evidence and she spoke to a nurse before she killed herself. Hannibal, Freddie was... terrified. The name she gave me is Chris Dale and he's the CEO of an enterprise that deals with angels who have just arrived from Heaven. The whole thing is an avenue itself. I don't know much, but she seemed to know him. If Abigail is with him...”

 

“He's dangerous?”

 

“I think he's the serial killer that rapes and tortures Nephilims to death” Will's voice cracked. 

 

“Will...”

 

“If she's with him, then we have two more days top if we want to find her alive. I... I can't get out of here. And Freddie doesn't answer. Could you... could you follow him and see what you find? I don't want you to be in danger, but there's no other way”

 

“I can do it. Will, if there's any chance to find her alive, I will do anything”

 

“It's more than I hoped for. I can't trust the FBI. They don't risk”

 

“I can take care of myself” he assured. 

 

“Thank you”

 

“She's my daughter too”

 

“Yes, she is...”

 

“I'll call you with anything I get”

 

“Thank you”

 

“Don't thank me, Will. I'll pick you up at five. We dinner here”

 

“Okay. I better go now. They're starting to come in”

 

“I love you” Hannibal said. He'd wanted to say it sooner, but he realized it sounded cold by phone. “I'm sorry, I...”

 

“No, no. I love you too. You can compensate me later”

 

“That I Will” he chuckled.

 

Twenty minutes later, he was parking one street away from the white and gray building.   
He'd already searched some information of this Christopher Dale and his organization. He saw, from afar, Freddie Lounds and a human young woman leave the building. The human was carrying a box and Freddie some files. She was her mate. Freddie was taking care of her mate, getting her away from Dale. She was clever but not as subtle as she thought.

 

Once they were close to him, he stepped out of a shop and greeted them at a distance. Freddie was closing the trunk of her car when Wendy called for her.

 

“This man says he knows you”

 

Freddie looked at him and shook her head, smirking.

 

“Dr. Lecter. What a pleasure to find you here”

 

“Hello, Mrs Lounds. You must be her mate” he turned to her and held his hand. Wendy shook it, smiling.

 

“Wendy Hershel. Nice to meet you... Dr. Lecter?”

 

“Hannibal, please” 

 

“Hannibal” Wendy nodded and stood by Freddie's side, arms brushing.

 

“What are you doing here, Dr. Lecter?”

 

“I'm doing a favor to Will. I need to know what I can do for Abigail. I know what Will knows, Mrs Lounds, so if you could tell me anything that might help...”

 

“This man is a fanatic. He's convinced he's doing a favor to God by killing Nephilims mated to angels”

 

“Abigail is not mated” he stated. 

 

“But he thinks she's mated to Will Graham”

 

Freddie saw a dark shadow cross his face. She knew they have a bond and Abigail was now his daughter. Their daughter. They were parents looking for their kid. She pitied them.

 

“Look,” she sighed “if Dale has Abigail we shouldn't tell the FBI. They could alert him and kill her faster. If he has her, he hidden her somewhere. He's now in his office, but I bet he's going to deal with her later tonight”

 

She saw his jaw tense. His maroon eyes gave nothing away. His blank expression was like the calm before the thunder.

 

“I'm sorry, Dr. Lecter” Wendy offered. She was too kind for this world. 

 

Jack Crawford gather his team, Graham and Dr. Bloom in his office. He was trying to control his impulse to hit something and the wall seemed to mock him.   
He looked around. Zeller and Price tried to shrink and never be found. Katz was close to Alana and seemed to get strength from the other woman. Alana held his gaze and Will was on the brink of a panic attack. His team had to be in perfect harmony. They had to gain trust and confidence. They were lost children and they felt lost. That was bad.

 

“We can't deal with this if each one of you is on a different world. Zeller and Price, I need you two in the lab. Find ANYTHING, for God's sake. The Chesapeake Reaper can't strike again. We need to catch him” he pointed at Katz, her black, cloudy eyes on him. “You go to the orphanage and talk to everyone, take Bloom with you to talk to the kids. Dr. Bloom, try to get something from them, if there's been visitors and how they looked. Will, are you here?” Will nodded, head shaky. “You're not stable enough. I know you want to help, but you can't right now. Do you understand? We have our best agents on the track”

He laughed. He fucking laughed.

 

“Of course Jack...”

 

Jack's face was heating up. One more like this and he'd smash his head on the mocking wall.

 

“You better go home, Graham. Everyone get your asses out there and bring me something. A whiff on the Chesapeake Reaper and I'll give you a raise”

 

Five o'clock and there was Hannibal’s car in front of him. Will got in and kissed him. Hannibal seemed surprised and Will blushed. 

 

“Hello”

 

“Hi”

 

“What did Crawford say? Does he have anything useful?”

 

Will sighed and reclined on the seat. “No. he's sent me away from both cases”

 

“Both cases?”

 

“The Chesapeake Reaper strikes again” he chirped in a mocking tone.

 

“Oh. Jack must be... stressed”

“Clearly. He's put them all to work. Even Alana”

 

“I hope they find him. Or her”

 

“He's killed a rapist” Will replied, bitterly.

 

“Oh”

 

“You can't really hate someone who punishes that kind of people”

 

“Will, he's still a monster”

 

“I can't... defend him, but I can't condemn him, either. God knows how many kids...” he couldn't end the sentence. He just sighed and leaned his head on the cold window. “I can't think straight. I wish I could shut my brain off for a day”

 

“I... I could find a way”

 

“No drugs” he chuckled. 

 

“No drugs. It's something else. You'll see when we get home. Before dinner”

 

“I look forward to it” 

 

He had little faith in hypnosis and things like that. His brain worked too much, too fast. But if Hannibal wanted to try... Abigail, the Reaper, Lounds and Christopher Dale danced in his head like clowns laughing at him for not being able to be like a normal person. It was infuriating.

After a few minutes, Hannibal talked.

 

“I... enjoyed your Heat”. And Will actually laughed.

 

“I think it was hell, and it drained you”

 

“It was a happy state of fatigue”

 

“You know, we don't have to go through that again”

 

Hannibal turned his head to look at him, puzzled. “Why would you say that?”

 

“You said so, I won't even conceive. And we're gonna try with Abigail... once we have her back”

 

“I said there's little chance you conceive, and it's me, not you. You're perfectly normal”

 

“Sure...”

 

“Your next Heat is in six months. We'll be prepared” his attention returned to the road. It was starting to snow. “This Chris Dale... what are you planning to do?”

 

“I'll follow him. I need to find her”

 

“It's too dangerous”

 

“She's there because he thinks she's my mate. Don't try to stop me”

 

“I want to help you. The bond I share with her has linked with you. Don't you feel it?”

 

“I don't even feel my feet”

 

“I can fix that. Let me take care of you. You must rest tonight. Rest from everything”

 

“How? She's out there, trapped, she's possibly been tortured or...”

 

“Will... Will, stop!”

 

Will couldn't control himself anymore. He was shaking, crying and tense. In his head, Abigail's body was on the floor, bloody and almost unrecognizable. But her eyes were open, and she said it was his fault. “You let me die” she said. “You didn't come for me. You let me die”  
And then the world turned black.

 

 

Hannibal pulled the car out of the door. They were almost at his home. He saw his mate have a seizure due to stress and fear. He got out of the car and watched he didn't swallow his tongue or got hit in the head. His pulse rose to 100.  
When Will stopped convulsing, he fell asleep. Hannibal let breathed out and leaned his head on Will's forehead. Suddenly, everything he loved threatened to leave him alone. He could not stand it this time...

He drove home fast, parked in his garage and opened all the doors before going back to get Will. He carried him to the house, up to the stairs and into his bedroom. He went back and secured the house. Then he fetched food and water and took them upstairs and placed the tray in the bedside table. He stripped Will from his jacket and shoes and did the same with himself. He lifted Will, Hannibal's wings stretched and the two of his right side got under Will. He lay on his side and brought Will to him, his other two wings embracing them both, protecting Will.

 

“We're coming, Abigail... be strong” he said, before falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter:
> 
> \- More Dale
> 
> \- Katz/Alana
> 
> \- Remember that collar?


	12. Chapter 7 part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2

“You told me you loved me” said Will, clearly tired.

 

Hannibal was still holding him, wings around them. Will opened his eyes and wondered if his mate was asleep. The dark, brown and maroon wings rising and falling with their owner's breath. It stopped.

 

“Will?”

 

Hannibal’s arm, around his waist, tightened. Will squeezed his hand.

 

“You told me you loved me. Before. I love you too. Thank you for taking care of me. I don't know what's happened”

 

“You were under so much stress your body couldn't stand it anymore. Your mind shut down to protect you”

 

“You were there to protect me” he brought Hannibal’s hand to his lips and kept it there. “I'm hungry”

 

“I need my hand, Will”

 

“Sorry” he let it go and turned around. He found he was on top of Hannibal’s large wings. Face to face, Will kissed him, soul spilling into his, Hannibal welcoming it. He found the love he professed and embraced it.

He saw a glass of water and gulped it down.  
Will got out of bed slowly, head still out of place. He heard Hannibal’s wings folding and disappearing. What a shame.  
Hannibal helped him on his feet and held his waist all the way down to the kitchen. Will was proud but Hannibal was allowed to see him like this. He would not judge or think less of him.

Hannibal sat him facing the kitchen and he started to prepare dinner.

 

“How long have I been sleeping?”

 

“No more than an hour, I think” he laced a white apron and started a fire.

 

“You said you had something that would make me... forget momentarily everything.

 

“You need to eat first”

 

He didn't argue. He was starving. He hoped Abigail was being fed...

 

Alana came back to the hotel and took a long shower, to make those confessions and secrets go away with the water. She was disgusted. That man deserved to die horribly. Those poor kids...   
She'd interviewed the kids that looked lost and scared, the hopeful ones and the shy, trying to disappear. At least twenty of them had suffered some kind of abuse.   
This was the only time she thought well of the Chesapeake Ripper. It was obviously his work. She didn't forgive him for Miriam Lass, though. Brilliant girl. Too close to him, she guessed. 

She dried herself off and put on a bathrobe, her hair still wet, and sat on the little desk. She wrote Jack Crawford and sent him an e-mail with all she found out that day. Almost two hours passed before finishing the report.   
It was getting late and Beverly was still out there. 

She climbed on the bed, on her belly, and took off the robe enough to free her wings. She sighed and stretched them, touching the ceiling then the floor. Her gray feathers caught the dim light of the desk lamp.  
Alana took her bag up and found her book. She let the bag fall and started to read. 

She tried. 

She let her head fall on the book and grunted. She needed Bev. They've been dating for days now, and she knew the Omega demon was close to a Heat. Alana took advice on what Will said and neither of them wanted to wait for it. 

Like a prayer and it's miracle, Beverly entered the room, full of papers, a full bag and four boxes of Thai food. She was starting to say how cold it was out there when she spotted Alana, leaning her weight on her elbows, half naked, with the robe hiding her rear. Beverly almost dropped everything.

Alana grinned mischievously and, reaching behind her, retrieved the robe slowly. Her wings flapped and her back arched to lift her bum.   
Beverly gaped at her and, almost petrified, let everything down on the desk. She took off the jacket, boots and jeans and walked over the bed, unsure of what to do. Alana slowly rose up, from all fours to her knees, spread them, and sat on her heels, never gazing away from the demon's eyes. 

Alana set her long, brown hair on her back, breasts on display for her. “Come here” she ordered. 

 

Beverly nodded absently and knelt in front of her. Her eyes were all over the angel, from the gray wings to her breasts and the mound between her thighs. The demon seemed to hesitate and Alana took her writs and guided her hand down, palm up. Alana gasped when her cold fingers brushed her warm skin, hotter now that she was aroused.   
Beverly looked up and Alana nodded. The demon delved into her with her fingers and found wetness. 

Alana moved her hips and encouraged her to move her fingers while she unbuttoned her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra and Alana cupped her breasts. A moan escaped from Beverly's mouth. Her fingers thrust slowly into her, soaking them, while her thumb teased the clitoris. Alana's knees were trembling, but she leaned in and kissed Beverly. She pressed her body to hers and her hand was trapped between them. Alana pulled back her hips, the demon's fingers slipping out, and pulled Beverly to the bed. She straddled her legs and leaned down to kiss and lick at her breasts.   
With little attention, her nipples stood hard and red from her biting. Beverly was panting and Alana nibbled down her torso, until she reached her thighs. She bent one leg and kissed her inner thigh.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

“If you don't do it now, I'm gonna d-, Alana!” she screamed, hands on her eyes.

 

Alana licked with her flat tongue between her folds and then entered the tip, slowly wetting her. Once it was enough, when Beverly was writhing and Alana had to held her legs to stop her, she thrust two fingers and teased the clitoris with her thumb. Beverly mewled and gripped the sheets so tight she tore them apart. Her back arched when Alana sucked and then she came. She groaned but she didn't just fall on the bed, she took Alana’s neck and guided her to her mouth. Beverly made her straddle her hips and she put her fingers back into her, the angel's wings flapping in surprise. Alana's yelp died in their joined mouths and Beverly made her come so fast she blushed. Alana fell at Beverly’s side, wings out, and took the box of tissues to clean them both. They were panting lightly and they spent the rest of the night kissing and having a few more rounds. Alana found the demon was insatiable. 

 

Late in the night, Alana woke to the light of Beverly’s laptop. She was probably finishing the reports of what she'd found. She only hoped her efforts were of some use...

 

“We're bonded” Alana said. Beverly nodded and closed the laptop. She stood up, naked, and retured to the bed.

 

“Double-check is safer every time”

 

Will devoured his dinner without talking, immerse only in the taste of the food. Hannibal swelled with pride and let him be. He actually liked to feed Will, but Will was always so fast and didn't enjoy the food the way it should be. Then an idea crossed his mind. It was late, but next time he would teach him how to properly eat.  
Hannibal was halfway his second dish when Will finished and he looked, if not happy, content. 

 

“Are you ready for our session?”

 

“Your cure is a session?” Will asked, skeptical.

 

“Some kind of session, yes. Go to my bedroom. There's a bureau near the window. Open it. There's a present for you, it's for our session. It will allow you to clear your mind and focus only in what I tell you to. Don't open it until I say so”

 

Will frowned but he didn't argue. He stood up and, by the time he was back, Hannibal had finished his dinner. Will was looking at the heavy box, still wrapped up. 

 

“I have no idea of what...” Will was mumbling to himself while Hannibal cleared the table. 

 

Hannibal had a plan to make him feel better. They couldn't do anything for Abigail, but he could do something for Will. If he had another episode like before, Will wouldn't perform as good as always and something could go missing. He needed Will open minded to find Abigail.

He took will to the dinning room and told him to open the present.

The box was black, covered in leather and gold in the lock. Will pressed his thumb to open it and it clicked. Will blushed when he saw what was inside and, open-mouthed, looked back at Hannibal. 

 

“It's made of the best leather I could find. It won't hurt you, I promise. If you open the two halves of the collar, and look inside, there's a spell that magnifies our bond once you've put it on and I've held the leash. It's meant for you to do as I say. Your brain cant' say no, so I'll reach out to your mind and make you forget all the stress and dark thoughts. While you're wearing this, I'll be the one to make you feel whatever I want you to feel. It's my duty, as your mate, to keep you safe, and I've failed at it. This will”

 

Will glanced at the collar, skeptical of its proprieties. But Hannibal seemed convinced and he was a skeptical man too, so he nodded and held the box to his mate. Hannibal shook his head and held his wrists.

“To accept my commands, you must give yourself to the power, to me. You must put it on”

 

They looked at each other, Will trying to see if there was a trap, a lie, something. “I wear the collar, and you can tell my mind to forget or avoid something that's hurting me”

 

“Yes”

 

“What's the trap?”

 

Hannibal cocked his head to the side. “There's no trap. Unless you don't trust me completely. If that's the case, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force you into a situation you're not willing to participate” 

He started to take the box away but Will pulled it to his chest. 

 

“No, I... I trust you. I don't trust the power of the collar, but... if you say it's real, then let's give it a chance”

 

Hannibal nodded once and sat before him. He crossed his legs and looked up at him. Will swallowed and he took the black collar in his hands, measuring it, touching every inch to feel it, to get used to it. T smelled like new, expensive and he liked it. The saw a tag with his name. William. It was beautifully carved in the golden plate. He smiled and held it up to his neck. 

 

“Wait” Hannibal said. “I want to thank you for your trust, even when I'm not telling you half of my-”

 

“I know you'll tell me some day” he interrupted his mate, lowering his hands. He stepped closer and placed the collar on the table, took Hannibal’s hands and made him clutch at his waist. Hannibal leaned into him and laid his head on his belly. Will pressed him even closer. “When you're ready you'll come to me. You've never lost your ability to trust. You're just afraid of getting hurt and, believe me, I understand that. For now, let me be at your side”

 

Hannibal nodded again but he didn't let go. After a few seconds, his nose started to poke at his belly and Will laughed.

“What are you doing?”

 

“You... smell good today. That's all”

 

“Oh”

 

“You smell good everyday, but today is different and I like it” he explained. 

 

Will freed from his grasp and sat in front him, as equals, and put on the collar around his neck, fastening it. Once it was fully closed, he felt a jolt of energy through his soul. It made him gasp and arch his back. Their bond grew stronger and he could feel the concern Hannibal felt. He was sure Hannibal felt the pain but he didn't show it. He had an amazing control over his body, even during the Heat.   
Will fell on his knees in front of Hannibal and grasped his thighs, tight, trying to ease his own pain.

 

“Do you know what you're feeling, Will?” Hannibal asked, petting his curls. His hands trembled.

 

“No...” Will whispered. He was panting, head on Hannibal’s thigh. The pain eased and he could breathe. 

 

“That's our souls, bonded. It means we have to go through all that pain to accomplish happiness. Do you think we can make it go away?”

 

“Yes”

 

“Do you believe in us?”

 

Will thought about it for a few seconds. The pain was big, and it hurt more than anything he'd ever felt, but he wanted Hannibal. He wanted whatever happiness they might achieve over the years. A family with broken members. A lot of pain was expected. So it would the usual. Could he live with that pain every day until they healed?

 

“Yes”

 

Hannibal kissed the top of his head and put a finger under his chin, lifting it. Hannibal’s dark eyes were watery but tears would not fall. Those would come later, Will knew, somehow.

 

“Then it's okay, Will. You can be free of your fears now, for they are nothing compared to peace” Hannibal took the leash.

 

And Will's mind relaxed. His soul wrapped around him and he was like dreaming in seconds. He saw Hannibal’s wings even though he knew they were not in this world. He could see his troubled soul, a tortured creature. It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve it. Hannibal told him something but his body did not react. It was his mind obeying. And his dream turned into a memory. The first time he recognized his human parents. They told him he was adopted when he asked why didn't they have wings. He didn't feel betrayed, he felt relieved. He wasn't a monster. He was an angel.

Then another command. And his little wings disappeared and a woman crying stood over him. She was thanking him. It was the mother of two baby demons he'd found the first time he felt a soul in distress. Two souls, later. And he found the babies. It was joy after that.

The woman turned into Alana Bloom. She was his first colleague. Another angel, like him. She was kind, and she helped others, like him. Alana knew his mothers and she told him about them. How beautiful and fierce they were. Their blue and green eyes always full of life and light. They wore their wings proudly. And so did Will when another command told him to do so.

Then, the voice of h is mate. And the first time he realized he loved Hannibal. 

 

He was being hugged when his eyes opened. He was grabbing fistfuls of Hannibal’s white shirt and his body was pressed to his.

 

“Thank you”

 

“You deserve it”

 

“Thank you...”

 

“There's another setting for this collar. But it wouldn't be appropriate to test it with Abigail on our minds”

 

Will laughed bitterly and unbuckled the collar, safely placed into the box. Hannibal placed his hand in the back of his neck and turned his head to look at him. With his other hand he cupped his cheek and brought up his thumb to press lightly over his upper lip.

 

“It's a shame, though, to waste those lips today” he ran his thumb, circling Will's cupid bow. Will didn't looked away even for a second.

 

Hannibal sighed and turned around. He took the box away and returned it to the closet in his room. Will was on the couch, reading a book, by the time he came back. His wings fell on his sides and graced at his legs. Hannibal sat by his side with his pad in hand.

 

“When Abigail's blood ran through my fingers, I felt I failed her like I failed my sister when I couldn't protect her. I was able to save her, though, and I think I saw my little sister in her. A place for Mischa in Abigail's soul” Hannibal confessed. Will took his hand and squeezed it hard.

 

“I'm sorry for your sister”

 

“Hmm. It was long ago. In the middle of a pointless war who only brought death to both sides”

 

“When you let me in... to your Mind Palace... Mischa... she was so little”

 

“I can still hear her screaming my name before they killer her. I hear her voice when Abigail talks. Will, Abigail means more than I dare to admit. I'm going to find him and I expect you to let me have my way with him”

 

“You want to make him pay for a crime he didn-”

 

“He still has Abigail”

 

Will sighed. He understood, and he knew Dale deserved every bad that came to him. But to put Hannibal into that situation...

 

“What if you get hurt”

 

“That won't happen”

 

“You look so sure...”

 

“I am sure”

 

Will sighed this time and stood up. “Let's find the bastard who took Abigail from us”

 

Abigail woke up to the sound of an iron bar tapping another. She jumped from the floor and all her body screamed in pain. She was hungry, thirsty and everything was too bright. Her trapped wings snapped and she knew one was broken and a few muscles of the other snagged. She screamed through the damp cloth in his mouth. Her face was wet with tears.

 

“You don't deserve wings, abomination” a voice full of hate said into her ear. A hand reached around her and grabbed between her legs. Now she was terrified. “This is what you're good for, and your cunt is not even that good, right? I bet it'll take years to conceive with the angel. Don't worry, you won't see the disappointment in his eyes when he doesn't smell or feel the baby in you. Abominations like you shouldn't even be able to breed”

 

He let her go and she trembled. He walked around the room, rambling about the greatness of angels' pure race. She was sick of it and reached into his chest for the bubble she felt with Hannibal around her. The bond. She tried to make it stronger but she wasn't even strong enough to keep her eyes open.  
Then the Alpha angel started to hit her again. She endured the pain with pride and a cold mind her previous father, the one who tried to kill her, taught her to use. She screamed and begged silently. She schemed with all the possibilities of the angel's body could make. She would honor him. Into pigs food.

When he got tired and she began to hallucinate, he left and let her bloody body on the floor, shackles around her wrists and ankles. She couldn't use her wings, they were broken. She'd memorized all the knives that ran over her body. All of them would bleed his body. 

 

Chris Dale was ecstatic. The blood of the abomination was still in his hands when he got to his penthouse. He pleasured himself looking at his bloody hands. Tomorrow will be the day. Another monster dead...

He slept for six hours, longer than he needed, but he thought he deserved it. He poured a glass of juice and devoured a slice of cheese. He liked this human food. Cheese was the first thing he ate when he came to Earth and he always ate just that the day an abomination would die. He just loved it.  
Chris checked for e-mails but he didn't find Pavel. That fucking demon... he was the owner of the workshop and it was legally rented. It would be inconvenient if the police or the FBI linked him with Pavel missing. That Lounds bitch already suspected of him.  
Inconvenient indeed.

He decided it was time to get some supplies. He wanted to do something special with this one. Maybe some metal wire all around her body, like bondage. Yes, a good one. Deadly bondage. He was hard already.   
He drove his car to his favorite store and he was holding the wire, checking its width, when someone bumped into him. He looked up and he recognized the man. He was apologizing.

 

“Do I know you?” he asked, ignoring him.

 

“Ummm let me think. I think we do. I saw you in that jewelery. Your friend was... obnoxious”

 

Chris frowned. Obnoxious, huh? Pavel was plain stupid, but he helped him with the bodies once they arranged the place they would drop them and Pavel took care of it. He owed him that, at least.

 

“Yeah, an idiot, but he's a friend”

 

“Sure. Well, glad to see you. Send my regards to your friend. Everyone deserves a second chance”

 

“I will”

 

Will was finishing his second class of the day when he spotted Freddie Lounds. She looked worried and he saw her soul almost sending sparks everywhere. He dismissed his students and when the room cleared she stepped closer.

 

“I have something. Chris Dale rented a workshop four blocks from his place. The guy is slime, a demon. The demon that's missing. Some Pavel guy. If she's in the workshop we have his balls”

 

He nodded, took her by her elbow and lead her out. Abigail could still be alive. If they got to her before him...

Once they were out of the building, he spun her around and told her to explain it.

 

“A few days ago I was paid to find out what happened to someone. The guy is a Beta demon, Pavel. He went missing and his human girlfriend saw he fell on the street and a tall man took him away. I doubted she was telling the truth, she was drugged but then she was so afraid and sad I couldn't say no. Besides, she paid a good-”

 

“Get to it!”

 

“Okay, okay. I checked him. His credit cards, his house, records... everything. I found he had a workshop and a warehouse. The workshop near Dale's penthouse and the warehouse close to Dale's building. It could be coincidence but I don't believe it. So I found out both the workshop and warehouse were rented...”

 

“To Christopher Dale” Will finished.

 

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. His head was pounding and he wanted to punch something. 

 

“But isn't it odd?” she asked. “Why is Pavel missing? Why would someone abduct him? Unless he knew something that put Dale in danger. Maybe Dale is behind this, too”

 

“No, Dale knows they would check Pavel's properties. Why would a businessman rent a workshop? A warehouse, I understand, but... she could be in four places. The workshop, the warehouse, his penthouse and his work”

 

“Do you think he would risk being discovered?”

 

“Not really. We should check those places, though” he suggested.

 

“Okay. I'll check the warehouse and his offices”

 

“Fine. Call with whatever you find. If you don't call me every thirty minutes I'll call Crawford and send some help”

 

“I'll do the same if you don't answer” she wrote the addresses in a piece of paper and handed it to him.

 

They left to find Abigail...

 

By noon, Chris left his office and drove to his workshop. He couldn't wait. He snapped at anything and he decided to leave sooner. After all, he was the boss and no one questioned his trips.  
There was one interesting thing. He'd found the abomination's mate. It was a teacher in the FBI. He probably was lecturing about him and that made him smile. Soon he'd be known as a hero who saved an entire race.  
About this young girl... she smelled of pure. She was probably too young to have a Heat but she still managed it to find a mate. The good teacher would wait for her to be older. So lovely. He was going to enjoy this one. He's throw the body in front of the FBI building, with her wings in weird angles with the wire's help. A mock. A warning.

From outside, no one could make a difference between all the filthy houses and garages. Stained trashcans and cats everywhere. He opened the door and went down the stairs. The air was hot and the walls humid. He lowered the lever and pulled down to open the iron door. It could only be opened from the outside so he didn't close it completely. He never did. He'd never go out.  
The girl was on the floor, half on the wall. The cuffs made her bleed and she had a sheen of sweat all over her, mixed with blood. She reeked of fear. He smiled at her when she looked up. Locks of hair were plastered to her face and she was frowning. Ooh she was upset.

He snorted and let his jacket on the chair. She was starting to stand up.

 

“Don't, please. I want you on your knees now” he stepped closer, at a slow pace, and unbuttoned his slacks. He cupped her cheek. “You bite me, I'll cut off your wings that chain. Slowly. Do you understand?”

 

He undid the knot and let it fall to the floor. She relocated her jaw and laughed. He frowned. His previous guests did anything but laugh.

 

“You fucking idiot...” he slapped her but she kept laughing. “You... you still don't get it. Will is not my mate, but I'm about to die for him”

 

“What...?” he let the knife slip from his fingers.

 

Her cold eyes held his.

 

"He's an Omega, the Omega who saved me. Yes, we have a bond, a family bond. But you're so sure of yourself that you would kill an innocent creature for your pleasure”

He kicked her ribs and she screamed. At least that comforted him. She wasn't the angel's mate...

 

“Is he mated? To another angel?”

 

“Fuck you”

 

He kicked her again and punched the iron door on his way out. He ran up the stairs and breathed in and out to try and calm himself. The angel wasn't her mate. She wasn't going to breed abominations with a pure creature... He couldn't let her go. He had to kill her anyways.

From a dirty alley a pair of maroon eyes followed his movements. Waiting. Somehow he was upset and confused at something. Maybe Abigail had won a few more minutes. Strong girl, the dark shadow thought.

 

Will was desperate. He'd been looking for any whiff of Abigail in the penthouse for an hour and nothing. No basement, no hidden doors. No clue. He calmed himself. He let his gift take control over him and he behaved like that murderer for half an hour more and he decided to go to the workshop. Freddie didn't find anything on his office and he was already gone. Abigail's time was going out... Freddie called once again and told him she was still on the warehouse.

Halfway through, Will phoned Hannibal. 

 

“Where are you?” he asked.

 

“I've been following Dale all day”

 

“What?! Why didn't you tell me?”

 

“Because you're supposed to be working”

 

Will sighed. “Do you have anything useful?”

 

“He has Abigail in a workshop. I lost him before I could see which one it is. His scent mixed with... all this filth. I know now”

 

“Okay... umm stay there, I'm coming”

 

“I'm sorry, Will”

 

“You're sorry? Why you're sorry?”

 

“If you still think good of me, don't come” he hanged. He hanged the fucking phone!

 

He threw the phone to the backseat and drove faster. He was going in and Dale would kill him too. “Oh God, no, please no... Not him. Don't take them away from me...”

It was the first time in his life he prayed.

 

Dale comes down much calmer now. He still has his mission. It won't change anything. She was still a filthy Nephilim and she deserved to die. And that bitch had laughed at him. He'd cut off her fat lips.

When he entered the room, and looked up, he didn't expect to see she wasn't chained. She wasn't there. He panicked and, when he turned around to go after her, he saw a thin line of light and a searing pain went through his cheek and cheekbones. He fell backwards and she was on top of him before he had any time to stand up or even register what had happened. She straddled him and he saw her face. She was expressionless and her eyes almost glowed. She brought the knife over her head and lowered it fast. He held her wrist and, pulling his leg up, switched positions. 

 

“You fucking bitch... you're only making me harder” he rubbed his hardness between her legs while she struggled to get free. 

 

She still managed to slip her wrist from his grasp, being slick with blood. Chris was lowering his pants enough to pull himself free when a pain in his side made him scream. She used this to get up and find another knife. He stood up and walked over her, he pressed his body to hers, a hand over her mouth, and punched her head. She was unconscious a second later. Her wings were so severed they wouldn't hide and make themselves ethereal so they just fell on the back.  
He threw her body on the floor and before he could get closer to her, he felt something hard on his head and the world went black.

 

Hannibal let him hit the floor and took off his coat. His heart was racing. She was alive, he could feel the bond now, but seeing her like this hurt him. With trembling hands, he put his warm coat over her naked body, settled her on her side and lifted Dale. He chained him with the shackles he'd used with Abigail and hit him with an iron bar to wake him up. The angel groaned and his unfocused gaze went from Hannibal to the door and Abigail. He hit him harder and blood dripped from his mouth.

“She's my daughter. You threatened my family taking her away from us. You must pay now”

 

“You're not Graham”

 

That stunned him. He even knew his name.

 

“He's my mate. I'm his Alpha”

 

Dale frowned. “He's an Omega?”

 

“Yes. And Abigail is our adopted child. That is unacceptable. I might dispose of your body like I did with Pavel”

 

“Son of a bitch! What did you do with him?!”

 

“I served him to my mate for two days. Hard meat. Hard to cook. Fortunately I am a good chef” he saw, satisfied, how the angel's face changed the moment the idea planted into his mind. A cannibal had killed, cooked and ate his friend. “Oh no, I won't cook you. You don't deserve to be my food. You almost maimed my family. The pain you've done won't go away that easily”

 

“She's still a Nephilim. You must understand...”

 

“I am a Nephilim, too. Both my parents were. I tricked you without even trying, Mr. Dale”

 

He started to insult him and his Mind Palace was arranging some music to pass the time while he walked around the room, knelt in front of Abigail and checked her pulse. He reached out with his bond and she was well. She was hurt and angry, but alive. He wanted to hold her into his arms but that had to wait.

 

“If you're done with your filthy mouth... I have an angel, my mate, who's worried for our daughter”

 

Hannibal picked up the knife.

 

“No, no, no, no... hey wait! I wasn't-”

 

“You've tortured her and I bet she hasn't tasted food since she left the hospital bed. You were going to rape her and kill her. I don't know about the order...”

 

Dale's face paled and he started to tremble and shake his head.

 

You won't have a presentation. Your body won't hang from the FBI's building. I0m following a ritual because you're not important to me. You will die seeing my eyes. The eyes of a father whose daughter you must remember to your last breath” his face was close to his and he wanted to rip his flesh with his teeth. But he didn't, because he did not deserve such honor.

With a swift move, the knife entered his body, puncturing a lung, and then the other. He did it so fast he could have seen the blade clean of blood had he been happy with one stab. He wanted him to drown in his own blood. To taste blood and see the redness of his eyes. To remember how much blood he spilled from Abigail, and then die like any creature. Terrified, alone.

 

“Abigail!” he startled when he heard Will's voice. He didn’t expect him here...

 

Will ran to kneel at Abigail's back, minding the broken wings. He turned her and checked her pulse and soul. He sighed with relief and took her head into his lap. With shaking hands, he stroked her dirty hair.

Will looked up to him and to Dale. Dale was convulsing and the chains holding him clinking. Will saw his last seconds of pointless life and Hannibal stared, transfixed with his cold look. His trained mind was slowly changing. The good and the bad was not the same for him. He wanted Dale dead. And his wish had come true.

Hannibal unlocked the chains and arranged his body on his back.

 

“Will, she will be framed for this if Crawford finds anything that makes him suspect that. Promise me you'll say he tried to kill me and Abigail when I got here and you couldn't shoot. She was fighting him when I was down the stairs but he knocker her out. The next thing is this...”

 

Hannibal knelt at his side.

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

“Yes” Will said, as if he'd asked what's the color of the sea.

 

The door cracked open and Freddie Lounds came in. She didn't have her purse with her so she didn't record this.

Hannibal fear he would have to kill her or threaten her if she didn't collaborate with them. She looked at the scene and ran to Abigail too. She told Will to call the FBI and Will went up and outside. The demon looked at Hannibal.

 

“I understand, too. I don't want to see her in jail. And that asshole deserved it. I could write of your bravery”

 

“Make it look like I'm an innocent murderer” he joked. That eased the tension.

 

“I'll make you two look like worried fathers who saved their little girl. Tomorrow in TattleCrime I'll publish the article”

 

“I wouldn't miss it”

 

Her dreams were usually colors and voices. Memories without image she stored but never wanted to relive them. The past was past and she looked forward. Her future was her life and her dreams couldn't live a future she didn't have yet. This dream was different. There was a face. A handsome face with eyes that glowed with lust and danger. His lips stretched over his face in a ever lasting laugh. He mocked her for being trapped.  
But she wasn't trapped. Maybe she was finally dead and her sins sent her to Hell, and the worst torture was this. It wasn't, so she started to doubt she was in Hell. Hell was different in her mind and all her sins would repay highly. This wasn't Hell.

She opened her eyes and closed them for the light. She slept and she woke up again. She didn't feel her body, but she knew she was face-down on the bed and she couldn't move her wings. She slept more...  
Dozing on and off her days passed and she could finally see and hear what was around her. She saw Will sleeping on a comfortable chair, and behind him, there were tall, heavy curtains. It was night time and her stomach rumbled. She was on her side. Will's eyes opened and he ran to her. He kissed her cheek and forehead. She felt her tears running down her face but she couldn't even talk.

 

“You're safe, now, Abigail” he smiled, holding her thin hand. “Hannibal saved you. He killed Dale and you're home. Hannibal made a private hospital take their machines here and he treats you. He was a Medical Doctor”

She nodded and squeezed his hand, then let it go to tap twice over her lips.

 

“Hungry? Thirsty?” 

She held up two fingers. Will nodded and sat on the bed. She used some strength she still had and tried to make it easier for him to keep her upright. She crossed her legs under her, surprised they didn't hurt and found she had an IV in her forearm. Again. She was sick of being the victim... She was a survivor.

Will settler her wings on her sides. She saw most of their surface was bandaged. She cringed and looked away. She had to be under very good painkillers. He held a glass of water to her. She gulped down three before eating anything. He brought a soup with beard in it.

 

“I'm sorry, you can't eat anything solid”

 

“It's delicious” she croaked. She cleared her throat. “How long have I been out?”

 

“Three days kidnapped. Eight days in an induced coma for your wounds. Two days of rest”

 

“Thirteen days”

 

“It's been a living Hell” he confessed. She cupped his cheek and smiled at him.

 

“I protected you. I didn't say you were an Omega mated to a Nephilim. I didn't want Hannibal or you to get hurt”

 

“Abigail...”

 

“It's okay. I escaped and fought before passing out. Then you in that chair” she went back to the bowl and ate another one. He made her sleep some more. 

 

“We'll tell you the news when you awake” he whispered before leaving the room.

She felt safe. This time, she wanted to do something if anything like this happened. She wanted to be as strong as Will and Hannibal were. Maybe the FBI was the answer. She wanted to be an FBI agent and protect herself and her family.

 

Everything would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been DAYS, I'm sorry. My Internet went down and my grandpa had a stroke so I've been so distracted these days...
> 
> But I'm back, everything is okay and I hope you liked this.


	13. What Abigail missed. I'm sorry to put her in a Hospital bed again.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is what happened those thirteen days Abigail was unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long but this required a lot of thinking and asking.

The night Abigail was rescued, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Freddie Lounds and Will Graham were on the FBI until the next day. They were interrogated, and had to sign an official statement. Beverly Katz registered and tracked the phone calls she could find and proved them right.  
Abigail was sent to Hannibal’s hospital, under his life insurance, now that he was his legal tutor. His father. 

The team -Zeller, Price and Katz- worked hard that night. All the pieces fell into place with their statements and they were happy it finally ended. Freddie Lounds had permission to write her article and the FBI worked along her to provide faithful information of what happened. They also checked everything was real and objective. A hard work for her, who wanted to glorify Hannibal’s acts as heroic, reckless and half illegal. 

After so many hours awake, Will ran out of adrenaline and couldn't even think. He was half asleep on Hannibal’s shoulder when Zeller told them they could go home. Will wasn't expected to go to work for two days. That infuriated him but he was too tired.   
Hannibal drove to Will's place and helped him out of his clothes and into his bed. While Hannibal was doing Will didn't care what, Will lay on the bed, wings around him. He was trembling by the time Hannibal came back and used his own wings to cocoon him too. Abigail was safe, his brain told him every five seconds, and yet he was angry, confused, relieved, and his head hurt.

“What are we going to do now?” he asked. There was silence for a long time.

“We're going to survive this, too”

“Don't pretend this didn't happen” he couldn't even raise his voice.

“I won't, Will, why would you say that?”

“You wanted me out of the rescue. He could have killed you, and yet, I find you already did” as angry and scared as he was, it hurt to think of those arms around him could leave him cold if Hannibal decided to go. “ You will die seeing my eyes. The eyes of a father whose daughter you must remember to your last breath... that's what you said when you killed him”

His arms, instead of holding him, hung limp, and he leaned his forehead to Will's neck.

“I told you I didn't want you there”

“You keep saying that and I still don't understand or I don't want to see”

Hannibal didn't reply.

“Is that the part of you I don't want to see? Because that part, whatever you call it, saved Abigail”

He didn't know why, but what he heard and saw down there about Hannibal, it didn't scare that much. He'd been surrounded of death and terrors since he decided to join the FBI and get in the skin of those monsters. He wasn't normal, he wasn't a typical angel. Why would he deserve a normal family?

“I lied. And I made you lie, Will”

“I know”

“They wouldn't understand a father's hate for the psychopath who captured his daughter”

“I know that, too. And what scares me the most is... I would have done the same”

Hannibal’s arm pulled him tighter against his chest and wings. Three sets of wings caressing each other, seeking comfort. 

“And... how do you feel about it?” Hannibal asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer, Will guessed.

“Troubled” he confessed. He wanted to hurt the angel. That psychopath almost took Abigail from them and she could even die now. She'd been tortured and God knows what else. So Will did not think like the FBI expected but he couldn't say that to them. But Hannibal... “Because I wanted to kill him. It's not the empathy. It wasn't his thoughts and needs, or his pleasure. Hannibal, it was me who wanted to...”

Hannibal kissed his head and his wings tightened around them. “It's alright, Will”

“It's not... right” Will whispered. He felt like a psychopath. Or a monster. He felt what he hunt for the FBI, for Jack... what would Jack say? What would Alana think of him? 

“Will, any parent would want revenge. Ask the relatives of the previous victims” Hannibal tried to comfort him but Will felt so tired and confused.

He didn't realized he was crying.

“Will, control yourself or you're going to have another episode. Let me take you somewhere in my Mind Palace, yes?”

Will nodded and cleared his mind, with a lot of concentration, and kept a straight line of light in the middle of darkness. The line was a filter. And Hannibal’s soul found it's way in through there. Like golden fingers of light and sand, they crawled in and joined his soul. A heat ran through him and he was standing in the middle of a black, white and green hall. A little hand grabbed his and he looked down, finding two big, blue eyes, like Abigail's. The little girl had her wings folded. She held Hannibal’s hand too. She said something and then she started to walk. There was music, something soothing and very beautiful. The hall was silent. The child had an eerie glow, like a ghost or the memory of a dream long dead. Mischa. Mischa's memories were his now. She stood in front of a door and he walked in and out in a beautiful garden. There was a copper bathtub were Mischa played with the bubbles another kid, older than her, made. He was soaked and he seemed happy, but serious. The girl splashed some water and it landed on his head. She laughed and he laughed with her. When he looked up his red, maroon eyes hit him and Will gasped. Hannibal. 

“Anniba! Anniba!”

Then they were out and fear replaced the games but, before Will could see anything else, they were back in his home. He felt a warm body on his feet. Winston. 

 

“That was your sister's memory”

“The last good ones” he nodded.

“She died”

“Horribly”

“She... looks like Abigail. Her eyes, and lips”

“There is nothing wrong to love someone who reminds you someone else” he stated. Will chuckled.

“It's okay. It's not selfish. I mean... the bond had to start with something, and your loss helped”

“Then you must understand what I did, I did it out of love, not hate. You would have done the same”

Will hesitated. He wasn't so sure about that. He was so used to cruelty and violence that almost everything around him was drawn to that. Maybe he was, too. Maybe all those killers and psychopaths had finally get to him. Maybe his mind was not the same anymore.   
He wasn't afraid of what he'd seen at the workshop. Hannibal killed him and they'd all lied. It was as criminal as any other murder.   
Why wasn't he that affected? 

“I think we should just... wait to see how she faces this trauma, too, and then... we'll see. What do you think, doctor?” he asked, turning his head to show him a smile. Will had a secret pleasure: to see how much Hannibal enjoyed his smile. He could bring some life into his tortured soul.

“I think she's stronger than we think. I already said this, and it's the truth” Will turned around and, wrapping one wing around Hannibal, he rested his head on his arm, the older man's mouth to his forehead.

“Tell me what happened”

“The door was already opened when I got there. He'd knocked her out and she was on the floor. She freed herself then she fought. Instead of trying to escape, she fought back. I stopped him before he tried anything else”

He was going to...

“You talked to him. You killed him and then I arrived, Freddie followed me. I know the rest”

“I told you to lie for me, for Abigail. You had the choice to refuse and tell the truth. You owe it to the FBI”

“You're wrong” Will looked up and leaned in for a kiss, short and almost chaste. “My life has changed. It changed the moment Hobbs came into my world and gave us Abigail. It's like a sacrifice. And she's been in danger all this time for another reason. You saved her this time. I lied for you two. For us” Will looked down between them and, this time, his voice carried a sadness he couldn't repress. “If... she's the only child we're ever going to have... lying means nothing to me”

Hannibal said nothing but his hand traveled down his ribs to his belly and kept it there. Suddenly, Will wasn't sure he appreciated Hannibal’s rare biology. Long years he'd been refusing to form a bond for fear. His fear made him brave and fierce, now. But what can you do against nature?   
So he sighed, squeezed Hannibal’s hand and let himself drift into sleep.  
Maybe some miracle came in a year, a decade, or a century. Meanwhile, Abigail was already here.

 

Hannibal woke up soon, untangled from Will and the sheets and left a note to his mate. He drove home, showered, dressed up and drove to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where Abigail was being tended to.   
He found Dr. Aja's assistant and she told him the doctor was in wing surgery. Her wings needed special attention and the surgery was so long it was being done by shifts with other three doctors. For a moment, Hannibal wanted to get inside the surgery room and told them how to treat her. He still remembered how to operate under stress and, even after so many years, his gifted memory allowed him to read everything he'd learned. He named all the bones and capes of the wings. He remembered all the veins running through them, all the oil glands and the joints and muscles... but everything was too clinical. When he saw Abigail's wings everything went down. 

He couldn't do anything. And that made him restless. 

The only thing he could do was think. And so he did. Will was lying for him and he needed no other explaining of why. He trusted him. And Hannibal was trusted only in therapy, with his patients. It wasn't the same. They sought his wisdom as a psychiatrist and they had no other choice. But Will chose to trust him. That simple. For Abigail, for them. For family. 

At the beginning of their sessions, Will stated that family was something he wasn't used to. His mothers died before he could remember them, and his human parents died long ago. A human life ago, at least. Family was not easy for him to keep. It seemed all traces of family escaped him, leaving him even more wary and confused. Hannibal almost felt the same. Long, long, ago, when a war took his family away from him, it left his heart die slowly, burning in hate and revenge.   
And revenge didn't bring his family back. Lady Murasaki, his human aunt -who died four centuries ago- was the closest he ever got as family after his parents. Then Clarice. And she was dead too.   
Will had a family now, Hannibal too. They didn't expect Abigail to stay so deeply in their hearts, but no one questioned a bond. 

Will said abandonment required expectation. He didn't know it also happen without it. 

And that's how Hannibal felt, abandoned. Abigail on the brink of dying. Will confused and out of himself... But who could blame him? His mate was a monster and incapable of giving him natural family.  
He sighed and sat in the waiting room, head in his hands. If Abigail died, Will would just fade away. A broken bond, for an Omega, could cause death. For an Alpha, it could make him unable to form another bond. He knew the feeling too well. First with Mischa, then with Clarice. How had he form another, with Will, he didn't comprehend. He was just grateful.  
If Abigail died...

He shook his head and leaned back. He breathed in and out and in a matter of seconds, he was back on his Mind Palace, seeking the comfort of a good memory. Mischa lead him to the other day, when he caught a whiff of something sweet. It was Will. He smelled amazing after the Heat and he wondered if that was what happened to angels after their first Heat. He'd never read anything about it before, but the smell comforted him. It smelled like home and safety. The touch of Will's hands on his head and the tender skin of his belly and thighs. His strong legs around his waist and Will's lips. Pronounced cupid's bow and soft flesh.

This wasn't the place to think further on the subject to he retracted from the halls of his Mind Palace, kissed Mischa's cheek, and went back to the Hospital. He blinked and saw a nurse, with blood on her shirt, approaching him. She was a demon, Beta, young. She sat beside him.

“Hello, Dr. Lecter. I'm Julia. Abigail is stable now. Her wings are safely folded and out of sight. They'll heal faster this way. Once it's safe to let them out, she must be face down or they'll hurt” he nodded. He felt relieved but he showed nothing. “Her vitals are fine. She's dehydrated and malnourished but she's recovering faster than we thought. Your bond could be useful now. Does she share a bond, too?”

“Yes, with my mate”

“Good. It'll be good for her to feel you two both. She'll be in an induced coma for a week or so, just to be sure there's no brain trauma. She's a Nephilim, so it's better to be cautious. Now, she has a few broken bones already healing, an internal bleeding that only her complexion, as a Nephilim, was able to minimize. A slit lip, a broken cheekbone and pretty bad beating marks that only time can cure. No muscle tearing other than the wings and, so you can breathe, she's not been raped”

Hannibal nodded and thanked her. She told him she needed to be cleaned and put in a bed to rest. He talked to the director and told him he was going to take her home. She'd be in a proper bed but he made them bring supplies, the IV, monitoring machines and two nurses. 

One hour later he phoned Will and he told him Abigail was alive, in an induced coma after a complicated surgery. He was going to take her home. Will agreed and accepted to have dinner in Hannibal’s place. He was going to work.

“Do you think you should go today?”

“Yes, I need some routine after these crazy days” Will sighed. 

“Don't over-think it too much, Will. She's home, safe. I'll see to it”

“I trust you” there it was again. His blind faith in him startled him every time.

“I'll be seeing you tonight, then”

“Sure. I... love you?”

“You're asking me?” he asked, amused.

“I don't know if it's proper, aft-”

“Say what you think it's right. I love you, too, Will. I'll see you tonight”

He drove home, ogling at the ambulance after him every five seconds. He set her room in five minutes and lead the two big Beta angels, male nurses, upstairs. In less than fifteen minutes everything was set up and they were gone. He changed a few things and arranged her more comfortable on her bed. The cuts on her face and arms were healing surprisingly fast. He brushed her hair and braided it to her side, leaving the scar on her neck on sight. The doctor said it bled during the surgery and needed stitches. He changed the bandage and, looking into the closet, he took a fine scarf from his mother -he managed to keep one of the houses she owned in Italy- and tied it around her neck. He caressed her cheek and left to make dinner for the night. It was morning but he wanted to prepare some things first.   
There was still some Pavel in the fridge...

 

Lunch time, Alana said. He didn't even realize he was hungry. Well, he wasn't. He wanted to run to Hannibal’s house and see Abigail with his own eyes. Sadly, there was work to do.  
Alana walked by his side. She wanted to ask him something.

“What is it? Spit it out, Alana”

She blushed and held her arms up in defeat.

“I just wanted to know how are you taking all this”

“She's fine now, so...”

“I didn't mean that”

“Alana, don't psychoa-”

“Psychoanalyze you, I know. But you worry me, Will...” she grabbed his elbow and stopped him. He didn't like to be tossed by Alphas like this so he glared at her until she let him go. “Sorry. Will, I'm your friend. I don't want to psychoanalyze you; I'd need years to do that. How you do you feel with all this?”

He sighed, tired of everything. He felt sick of the FBI telling him he was needed, not fit and needed again to mess with his head with the next psychopath. He just wanted to go home with his dogs, a long walk in the forest and then coming back to find Abigail and Hannibal sitting by the hearth, laughing, reading or just watching the flames. 

Bitterly, he answered “I feel like everyone treats me like a child with a big power and little responsibility”

“Yeah, well, Spiderman, too bad. You're in the middle of all this and Crawford is very angry. I'm telling you because I care for you. He's still convinced that Abigail was a big part of Hobbs' plan and she's linked, somehow, with the Nephilim killer”

Will snorted. He couldn't believe it. Jack was after his family now?

“Well, that's stupid and I'm not going to play this game the Guru has invented now. If he's frustrated with Hobbs and Dale, it's his problem. Hobbs is dead, Abigail alive. Dale is dead, and Abigail survived again. It doesn't mean she's like them, it means she's a survivor, which they aren't. Because they're dead”

“Ha ha, very funny” she kept walking and he followed her. A few trainees congratulated them for finding the killer and his last victim alive. No one knew she was his daughter by bond.

“Sorry. But Jack is delusional with this. He thinks I'm not objective, he isn't, either”

“I'm concerned about him, too. His wife...”

“I know. Very sad” he calmed down. Jack was so in love.

 

They sat in the cafeteria, with Zeller, Price and Katz. She kissed Beverly and sat down again. Will wasn't surprised; he could feel the bond between them and he was happy to see them together. 

“You smell funny” Beverly said. Zeller laughed and Price and Alana frowned at her. “Did your heat go well?”

“Oh God...” Zeller choked on his water.

“Beverly!” admonished Alana.

For once, the noise in the cafeteria didn't bother him that much. The awful jokes Price told were funny and Zeller talking and eating at the same time wasn't something disgusting. Something lit his spirits and those apples were so good he ate four.

When his last lecture finished, Jack Crawford was waiting for him outside. Arms crossed in front of him, a deep scowl and not friendly at all.

“Jack”

“Until everything is clear as water, keep out of my cases”

“It's funny how you keep asking for help when I want to run away from your cases for my sanity” he replied, maybe too harshly. A vein throbbed in his neck.

“I didn't hear that”

“Yes, you did. If you want me out of your cases, make it so. But for real. My mind is not something you play with. I know I help saving lives, but the FBI worked pretty well without me before I appeared here”

“Okay, if that's your plan”

“My plan? Why are you here? You're the one asking me to keep out! And I will!”

“Just go home and tell Dr. Lecter I want to talk to him. You're not stable enough to be useful”

“Sure, Jack”

He left as fast as he could and he needed all his strength to not to open his wings and make a lot of noise.   
Jack was confusing him, too. And he only wanted to see Hannibal and Abigail. And eat.

It hurt him Jack wanted him out, but he also felt relieved. He'd been so many years doing the same; living in a hell of cruelty, sadism and too much blood of innocent people. He just wanted to rest from it all.

 

He arrived home soon and walked the dogs into the forest for almost an hour. He stretched his wings and moved them as much as he could to absorb fresh air.   
An angel's wings are their pride. His race was a proud one and their distinctive was, besides their intelligence, grace and other gifts, their wings. They were out of human laws, or what they knew about it. Wings could appear and pass through layers of clothing like air itself.   
Long as they were, Nephilims had their wings thicker and heavier, and they were more in this world than ethereal. 

Will's wings were beautiful, reflecting all the light they could get, like a mirror. Light brown with so many shades they seemed golden at some tips. Smooth feathers, yet strong muscles and light bones. Flying was out of the question. The bigger they were, the easier it was to break them. This world was made for birds and insects, not for angels. Some tried; some succeed, some failed. Will wasn't interested in flying. He'd feel ridiculous and it's a cliché.   
He looked at them. They looked healthy, cleaned and lighter in the snow. Many years left to feel them heavy on his back.

When angels aged -only a handful had, yet- their wings shrank due to their weight and the strength of the angel. Only two Seraphs who never came to Earth, a Cherub who lived in Earth as a human before the Revelation -whose paintings, inventions and many more things were still marveling the human race-, and three Archangels: Uriel, Barachel, Raphael. All of them dead by age and choice, reborn as angels to live in Earth. They were somewhere, still unaware of their old powers and memories. 

One of his mothers had an Archangel as grandfather and Will's human mother told him once he was just as him. They didn't give him a name and he wasn't interested in Heaven. Not yet.  
His life was here. Surrounded of humans, demons, Nephilims, good and evil, family. 

His dogs urged him to go faster and they finally made it home before it got darker. He took a long shower and saw himself in the mirror. He still had bags under his eyes and his beard hadn't grown yet. He thought it a mistake to shave for the opera. It would take years to grow, being an Omega.   
His curls were still wet and a drop fell down and slid into his navel. He wiped it with his hand a but, for some reason kept it there. It could take years to have a baby with Hannibal’s biology. Hannibal himself said, after many years together, his mate couldn't get pregnant. Being a human, she didn't have heats, but cycles. Even though there had the same function, a Heat was much more powerful. Still, she didn't conceive and, after a few tests, assuring them they both were fertile, a child never grew inside her.  
A shame. But he was thankful to have him. He wasn't alone anymore.

But a baby... he knew he had to have his own. For Hannibal, for himself. Abigail had opened a door in his instincts he thought it was locked forever. He hadn't thought of a family before because he was so alone and... weird, he thought it was just ridiculous. 

He looked down and imagined his belly growing. Male pregnancies in angels used to last ten months or eleven. Female were ten, exactly. Nephilims were other thing, and much more complicated. Calculating how many moths he'd be pregnant with Hannibal gave him a headache, being a double Nephilim mating with a pure angel. It was never heard a case like their case. Still, his womb -not like a woman's womb of any species- was prepared to him them kids and it scared as much as fascinated him. A baby with the person he loved.  
He remembered Alana Bloom talking to him about Heats and mating cycles and finding it disgusting and pointless. He laughed now. “Your body will tell you're ready when you meet a potential mate, or your mate”  
In angel standards, he was young, a bit more than a century and he was already mated to a much older Nephilim. He didn't know how much older but he planned to know. 

He patted his belly and said “not yet” and then dressed up and gathered a few things to spend the night with Hannibal. They could live together already. It was expected. But they liked their independence. Also, he couldn't ask Hannibal to leave his great house and his luxury to live with seven stray dogs, or ask him to move his dogs there. It wasn't going to happen.   
So he fed the dogs and left the dogs door open, and drove to Hannibal’s place. He yearned to see them and, more intimately, he craved to make Hannibal take him on his huge bed or his sacred kitchen. He was already hot, aroused, and -blushing, he admitted- a little bit slick.

Half an hour from Hannibal’s house, he remembered what he said to Christopher Dale. He hated so much for taking Abigail from them he couldn't condemn his actions, though almost barbaric and cold-blooded. But he kind of thought of doing the same thing, it was a different thing to think about it than doing it. He decided he would've done the same. He took Garret Jacob Hobbs' life and he wasn't sure he had any remorse. He only regretted taking Abigail's real father from her and he didn't know how to feel about it. To take a life was a big deal. Hannibal seemed... not disturbed. 

 

He knocked at the door and Hannibal opened in less than a minute. The moment the door was closed, he had his mate against the nearest wall, kissing him, joined from hips to chest. Hannibal hummed and held his waist. Will wasted no time and had his fingers fumbling with his zipper. To find buttons.

“Who the hell has buttons down there anymore?” he complained. Hannibal laughed and let Will struggle with the buttons some more until he finally opened it.

When his hand explored inside his pants he found, quite satisfied, Hannibal was already hard. His head banged the wall and pushed Will down. He obliged, eager to taste him. On his knees, he hurried to wet his lips and suck the head right away. He pushed up with the tongue and Hannibal moaned. He loved to make him say things. He was so quiet usually that it was a victory to make him moan out loud or even grunt.   
He took the head tip out and licked around to make it easier for his lips. He surrounded the head, open mouthed, and relaxed his throat, as Hannibal taught him. Inch by inch, his tongued welcomed the heaviness with soft thrusts and sucking. Once inside as much as he could fit in, he placed his hands on his mate's hips and looked up. Hannibal’s eyes were on him, dark and half closed with pleasure. His mouth open enough to breathe. He could see his teeth and wanted them on his skin, on his lips...  
He was occupied now, and quite happy with it.

With a tiny nod, he encouraged Hannibal to use him and brought his hands behind his back, one grabbing the other. Something about letting himself at his mercy turned him on and made it easier for his mind to concentrate in just making his mate enjoy. He enjoyed this far too much, too.  
So Hannibal took his head between his hands and pulled out slowly, then in again. It was a steady, slow pace for Will to get used to it. It was over soon, when Hannibal slammed his hips and made him swallow his cock. Trying not to gag, a tear showed in his eye. The back of his throat was very sensitive and his first urge was to pushed it out of his mouth. He didn't. Because he was enjoying this.  
So Hannibal kept going, thrusting in and out. Then he stopped, and let Will breathe for a few seconds, to be back into his own pace. Will was sweating and openly crying by the time Hannibal’s thrusting wasn't as firm as before. He lowered his hand and with his thumb, he pushed at the side of Will's upper lip, stretching it. 

Will was trying not to gag when Hannibal began to pant and he could feel, on his tongue, a thick vein pulsing. He was close.   
Where his tears had dried, he felt his skin itch but he didn't move his hands. He looked up and a new tear fell down when his cock went inside to the base, then he pulled out, leaving the head in, to come in his mouth, not his throat. Hannibal told him to taste him one night, and since then... well, he couldn't live without this treat. 

He felt the hot semen hitting his tongue, pooling there. He pulled out too soon and a few drops landed on his upper lip. Apparently, Hannibal had a fixation on his lip. He couldn't say no, then.   
So, deliberately slow, just to torture him, Will swallowed, licked his lips and recollected the drops there, to finally swallow them, too.

Before he could say anything, Hannibal pulled him up and smashed him to the wall with his body. Kissing him, licking his tongue and lips, Hannibal unzipped his jeans pumped his cock and -too damn soon- he came on his hand, with a long moan Hannibal kept in his mouth. Bringing his hand up, he held it to Will's mouth and he opened it.

“As you're so eager to devour my seed, yours shouldn't be that difficult to add, too”

That made his cock twitch but he ignored it. He wanted more after dinner, not now. So he opened his mouth and licked off his fingers. The taste was different. He wanted more... Hannibal.  
Once it was clean, or as clean as a tongue can get it, Hannibal kissed him again. He arranged them quickly to be presentable and lead him to the kitchen. He didn't know why he blushed. He cleaned his face with fresh water from the sink.

“Had we some visitors, this would've been awkward” Hannibal said, smiling down to Will, still blushing.

“Yes...”

He fixed his eyes on his plate and Hannibal kissed the top of his head. He leaned into the small gesture and missed it the second he left to get more trays.

“You can go and see Abigail when we're done”

“Sure. Is she... awake? Conscious?”

“No. Induced coma, to help the healing and the psychological trauma”

Will looked up and nodded. He hummed at the food in his mouth and asked him what it was. Some Russian dish.

“Well, it doesn't matter. I can't even pronounce it” Hannibal chuckled.

When they finished Will almost ran up the stairs and, when he was about to open the door, he hesitated. Hannibal was by his side and cocked his head.

“What is it, Will?”

“Nothing, it's just... I still feel the bond, but it's dim and I'm afraid of the void it'll leave if she dies.

“Don't think about it” Hannibal reassured him, a hand on his shoulder. “She's alive, she survived two attacks and its surgeries. She's stronger than we think”

“You keep saying that”

“And she keeps proving us right, Will” 

Will nodded and opened the door. His heart jumped when he saw her. He could see around her all the residual energy the violence creates after an attack so specially brutal. Closer to her, her soul shrank to protect her, and the bond, a bubble of magenta light reached to him. She might not know he was there, but the bond did. It also reached past him to Hannibal. He stepped closer and sat on a comfortable chair. He took Abigail's hand and kissed it. No response. The bond was the only way to reach to her very soul and mind. She was in peace, calm and dreamless. Probably the best, due to her new and old traumas.   
Hannibal sat on her other side, just like the first time in the hospital. He felt sick.

Hannibal stood up and walked out of the room. Five minutes later he was back with two books. One was for him, the other for Will to read her.

“Thank you. But I don't see how this helps. She can't hear me” he said, taking the book.

“The bond reacts to our presence and voices. Have some faith, Will”

Will shrugged and leaned back, opened the book and laughed.

“Do you really have Red Riding Hood?”

Hannibal cleared his throat and wiped an invisible spot of dirt in his pants.

“It's a very old book, one of the first-”

“It's okay, I like it. It was my favorite. I always wanted to change the story, you know?”

“How so?”

“Red is not my color”

 

They spend the night reading old books. It's not a sleeping night, both of them having slept for six hours at least the other night. Angels don't need to sleep that much.  
Two hours before dawn, Hannibal stood up and took Will's hand to lead him to Hannibal’s bedroom. He closed the door behind him and told Will to strip. He let his clothes on a chair and climbs on the bed, now unsure of what to do.  
Hannibal smiled to himself. What Will allowed him to do, with him, his mouth was so tempting and so wet. He knew it must have hurt him, but he endured and... enjoyed it. Will fascinated him to no end.

He stripped too and climbed on the bed and over him, between his legs. He reached down and, kissing Will, he hummed in satisfaction when he found he was already wet inside. Two fingers didn't find much resistance, only as tight as he always was. While Will writhed under him, Hannibal marked his shoulders and neck with bites and purple marks. It was red, purple and yellow. Like a proud painter, he needed to sign it. The moment he entered his mate, he bit down near the tender skin on his shoulder and his teeth ripped flesh.  
Will screamed and clung to his shoulder and side, fingernails digging in. It hurt, he knew, but he couldn't stop himself. Thrusting into Will's warm body, he let himself go and drank what he bled. Will was so oversensitive he didn't realize what what happening up there.   
Hannibal pulled out, Will growling, and flipped him over, face down. He bent Will's legs so they were on his chest and pulled back, all the way in. Will grasped the sheets and mewled when Hannibal aimed to his prostate and made him come untouched. 

Hannibal turned him around again to come inside him, looking at his eyes. Will took his head and pulled him down for a kiss. He could barely breath and he used it to kiss him.  
Fascinating.

Hannibal pulled out and bent down to lick the come off his belly. He payed special attention to his navel. Will chuckled.

“Tickles” 

He stopped there, head on Will's belly. Its warmth comforting. And his smell. It was just so good, and delicious. His hand, as if by its own accord, went up his torso to touch his breast and stirred his nipple with his thumb. 

“Let me see your wings?” Will asked, almost asleep. He hesitated for a second, then his two sets of wings spread over them, stretching. A good grooming would do fine. “How... old are you?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“You're mysterious”

“Mystery requires secrecy”

“I'm very sneaky”

Hannibal chuckled. Why would he need to know that? Of course a young angel would like to know his mate's age. Maybe he thought he was too old to help him conceive a child.

“I'm going to tell you about my parents. My mother was called Simonetta, she was a Visconti -angel- on one side and a Sforza -demon- on the other. My father, Hannibal, was a Lecter and some human no one really knows. When the Visconti House split and the Sforza House was created from it, the family blood almost got lost. An Omega demon, Francesco Sforza, bonded to Steffano Visconti and my mother was born. Almost a century later, they were both killed. She ran from Milan to Lithuania where she met my father. Count Lecter of a small but rich region. He was a Nephilim of pure angel and a human. The human died and the angel, soon after that. He built the Castle and it was almost finished when my mother arrived. My mother was one hundred years when they met. O was born in 1492, in Heaven, and stayed for six more years. We left when Mischa was two... I was only eight and my sister four when the Second Lithuanian-Muscovite War arrived. My family was killed when we hid from the war. War criminals were responsible and I... hunt them when I was older”

“That's... a lot to sink in... You avenged your family and.... you're a nobleman!” he exclaimed, amazed.

“I am, but I haven't used my titles in so many years I can't remember the excitement of people when they hear them. Anyways, this was before Revelation, so I had to be careful. I left Lecter Castle in good care and I traveled to Japan, where I met my uncle, Count Robert Lecter and his mate, Lady Murasaki. He was dying, his wings almost deteriorated and decayed. When he died I... studied medicine and traveled the world. I learned all I could. Lady Murasaki died years ago. She taught me the art of fighting with many kinds of swords”

“It's... amazing, really. I'd like to hear more about it. And... you're over five hundred years...”

Hannibal stretched his limbs and fell on Will's side, dragging him over his body. Will kissed him for minutes until he decided he wanted more stories.  
So Hannibal told him stories. Sad, funny, long and interesting stories that made Will laugh and gasp and ask every question in existence.   
Hannibal had his dark stories running free through his Mind Palace and kept them away from him.

It was Will's day off and they took care of Abigail, had lunch in a balcony and Will left to feed and walk the dogs. 

Once he was alone, he stored the smell, getting stronger than the last time he sniffed his belly. He could only assume Will had a tumor -unlikely, for angels- or he was pregnant -unlikely, for his own hybrid biology. But nothing else made sense. If Will was pregnant... that meant he was his true mate. The one his body, soul and mind had been expecting for so long if he was pregnant, it was only a matter of time Will noticed.  
It still left the possibility Will didn't want to be pregnant. That Will, once he found out what Hannibal was, the monster he was and will always be, would run. It was needed to hide from his mate his nature, his core. He'd been doing this for centuries. He still could do it with Will or he'd be alone with a child who reminded him of a monster. He needed to be sure Will was or wasn't pregnant, and then hide so well what he did, there was no evidences. He could do better.

 

Five days later, their routine didn't change. For Will, he went to work, avoided Jack, went to take care of his dogs, and spent the night with Hannibal and Abigail. Hannibal changed all his dates with his patients in the morning and the rest of the day was for Abigail; and the night for Will. 

However, Will started to worry about Hannibal. He seemed distant and quiet, a certain sadness in his eyes and an indescribable look when he saw Will. The angel was growing restless. He thought Abigail was making Hannibal sad and he wanted to be alone or he was desperate for her to woke up.  
Will was upset. Recently, he started to feel a heaviness in his wings, and most of the time they were ethereal, as much as he wanted to hide or show them. He attached it to his stress...

 

One day, two doctors came to take Abigail out of the coma. Hannibal and Will were both needed to guide her to life through the bond, like the first time.  
It was easier this time, the bond being complete. She was asleep and she would rest for a few more days.   
Two days later they came back. They turned her around and Will placed a hand between her shoulder blades, reaching for the bond, to make her wings come out. The doctors were impressed. They said it usually took a shot of adrenaline and it was usually very dangerous. 

They checked her wings and arranged them so she was comfortable. One of the doctors was a demon, an Omega, and Hannibal watched how his eyes lingered on Will's belly after his nostrils flared.  
Then it hit him. Demons, specially the Omegas, had a unique sense of smell, his own almost as good. Will was absorbed in his world, looking down at Abigail, oblivious to everything else. But Hannibal noticed the demon tilting his head and smiling. He stepped forward, hand out to congratulate him when Hannibal cut him off and held his hand instead.

“Thank you, gentlemen. From now on, we take care of her” and walked them out.

Will Graham was pregnant.

 

Ten days after Abigail's rescue, Will was on the brink of a panic attack. He didn't know he was dreaming. He was in the woods, chasing a dark shadow. He had it cornered and the shadow stepped into the light. It was Abigail, covered in blood, cuts and her eyes were a pool of black ooze. He jumped forward and her claws shred his throat. She opened his stomach with her long nails and, before she could dig inside his entrails, he woke up with a violent jerk. He hit something and he found himself standing in the middle of the room, not knowing where to go. He could almost feel her hand...  
He heard Hannibal but didn't understand his words. He could only feel hands and smell blood. He ran to the bathroom to throw up and a hand on his back startled him. It was Hannibal.

He leaned back into Hannibal’s chest and told him what he saw in his dream. He was crying when he looked at himself in the mirror. Hannibal’s temple was bruised.

“Sorry” he mumbled, cleaning his mouth. Hannibal dismissed it and embraced him from behind. 

“Doesn't hurt”

A lie, but a good one.  
In the morning, Will couldn't eat anything and he just looked like he had a rough week. Or month. He sighed and left to work.

 

Alana tried to make him talk but he just answered with vague phrases and monosyllabic words. She left him alone and, an hour later, Beverly took him aside and sat him on her desk. She sat on the table and crossed her arms under her chest. She raised an eyebrow.

“Look, I'm tired and I've had some pretty bad days and-”

“You smell funny” she interrupted. He frowned.

“What the he-”

“You still smell funny and your smell grows everyday and it's starting to bug me. I've smelled that before, many times, but my roommate in college is the closest I've smelled, until now. Nine months later an ugly, pink bag of crying was born”

“What?” Will frowned even more. He suddenly felt dizzy. 

“When were you going to tell us the good news?” she gave him a lopsided smile that faded away when all the color of his face abandoned him. “You... didn't know? Hoooooooly shit”

 

Will woke up in a hospital. “Fucking perfect”  
His head hurt and a metallic taste in his mouth made him want to throw up again. Throw up. Dizzy. Beverly. Smell. Good news.

He was pregnant.

“Will!” Hannibal gasped. He was on his side, kissing his cheek the next second.

Will's lips were trembling and he clutched at Hannibal’s hands and he fought for air. He needed to ask. He needed to know.

“I... I-m”

“You're in Johns Hopkins Hospital, Will. Do you know w-?”

“Why am I here?”

“You fainted at work. You hit your head on a desk and scared to death your friend”

A knock and the door opened. Alana and Beverly came in. Alana held some papers in her hand. Beverly looked guilty and Alana confused.

“Hi” he said. It seemed very stupid everything to say anything else.

“Hello, Will” said Alana. Beverly just nodded at his direction and looked down, arms crossed. Alana looked at Hannibal. “The results are here. He has a concussion, but nothing to worry about. The rest...”

She handed the papers to Hannibal and his maroon eyes read quickly. He knew what he was looking for. So he was...  
In three seconds, his eyebrows went up and his eyes wide open looked at him, then back to the papers. He stood up and sat again by his side on the bed. Will wiggled up to sit and took the papers from his hands. He let them on his lap.

“What does it say?”

Hannibal bit his lip and hesitated a second. He looked up and Alana and Beverly left the room. Looking into his eyes, Hannibal brought up a hand and cupped his cheek. 

“Clearly this is absolutely ridiculous and a miracle, but you're pregnant”

Will couldn't help but laugh and kissed him, arms over his shoulders. Hannibal didn't respond to the kiss and Will, scowling, pulled back.

“Are you not happy?” he asked, hurt.

“You didn't want this, Will...”

“You said it couldn't be possible for so many reasons I thought it just couldn't happen and yet-”

“It's so soon and you're so young that...” he couldn't finish, for his lips were busy, in a demanding kiss.

“Is this what's been eating you these days? I'm too young and our relationship is too new? Let me tell you something. In all the time we've met, I've been happier than in my entire life. How is this going to ruin everything? We already have Abigail and my job is not dangerous anymore... Hannibal, I've spent too much time thinking I'd never be able to conceive. You're not infertile and this is our chance”

“Then you're keeping the baby”

“You bet your stoic ass I am keeping our baby”

Hannibal looked down between them. A smile forming in his lips when his hand touched Will's belly, where their baby was growing. He knew already but the moment he read the positive results and Will's enthusiasm made him... uneasy. After all, Will wanted to have his child and, more importantly, it was real. He didn't know how to feel about this but he couldn't help to smile, either. 

Will kissed him again and said he wanted to go home and celebrate it properly. 

 

Three days later, Abigail woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo any comments?
> 
>  
> 
> Remember my Tumblr? http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I've done something vey bold. I've just wrote a slight crossover, because there's someone who's after Hannibal and... well, this could be very interesting.

The night Will goes home, the day after Abigail is awake, Hannibal Lecter goes for a hunt. It's fast but nevertheless important. It's to celebrate Will's pregnancy.  
He goes back to Pavel's address and finds his cousins investigating why he's missing. Hannibal strikes silently and enjoys the look on the demons' faces when he bleeds them at the same time, one right in front of the other. He needs supplies if he wants to take care of Abigail...

 

The article Freddie Lounds wrote about The Nephilim Slayer, as she named Christopher Dale, made the TattleCrime website so famous the news called the demon for an interview.   
It began with a summary of the other victims, their lives and a few more information she collected from the FBI and Special Agent Will Graham.  
The article had her own personal experience as an active part helping on the rescue of the latest victim, Abigail Hobbs, former daughter of the Minnesota Shrike, Garret Jacob Hobbs. Abigail, now daughter of said Special Agent and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, was mistaken as Graham's mate. That was the last mistake the serial killer made before his death. Following his track, she wrote, they were able to get to the horrible workshop where Dale tortured, raped, and murdered his victims, all of them Omega Nephilims mated to pure angels. 

Dr. Lecter was closer to the place and couldn't wait for the police, so he tried to talk and convince Christopher Dale into surrender. Dale, mad in with anger, fought briefly with the doctor and got stabbed several times until he stopped struggling. As a self-defense case, and the alleged victim was a serial killer, Dr. Lecter was absolved of any charges. 

As a less important article, the next day she wrote about the Chesapeake Ripper and how he killed two tourists from Russia, who came to find a missing relative. They were found with missing organs and a brutal scenario had the FBI awake for days. The only one missing in the scene was Special Agent Graham. Some say he retired for mental illness, others claim he's finally gained some common sense and declared himself not fit in order to take care of the Hobbs girl, and others imply his new state indicates a pregnancy, finally.

By the end of the week, Lounds wrote another one on Abigail Hobbs and why she's not a killer, or a cannibal, like her father. Her own thoughts, though, don't reach the Internet.   
Wendy handed her a mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream and sat at her side on the couch. She'd have to make her own investigation for that...

 

Wendy Hershel was a victim of prostitution of the organized crime. One of the branches lead her to Miami when she was younger. She'd be drugged and fat cats of the mafia abused her while she was semi-unconscious. Day after day until her “friends” started to die horribly. Only prostitutes died and the Miami Metro took its time to investigate. She was taken and a man saved her. Then killed one of her bosses. He was mean, cruel and beat her and her friends so she wasn't sorry at all. That man freed her and she left Miami but they caught her a few months later in Baltimore. That, the man didn't know. He didn't know either she'd been saved again by a journalist and mated to her shortly after.  
But the man who saved her, a savior for Wendy, was also a monster. The Bay Harbor Butcher, they called him. He'd been killing criminals for decades. Almost always the same method, unnoticed until a few months ago.  
Then everything went to hell when family and other people tried to dig in, find him and impose justice. Almost cleared out of danger, when the life of this man seemed to go back to normal, another serial killer got into his life and wiped away half of his sanity by killing the mother of his child. He killed Trinity -he killed three women in cycles- and thought his life was going to be repaired over again.

That's when a certain article caught his eye. Buying a coffee, he saw a newspaper with red highlights and a red hair woman -demon- in the middle. “The Chesapeake Ripper of Baltimore has a counterpart: meet The Nephelim Slayer”

“The Chesapeake Ripper...” 

“Yeah, man. That bastard strikes again. But they've caught that Nephelim Slayer everyone's talking about” the bar tender said. “Hey, I know you. You're that Morgan guy... your sister owes me money”

“I'll pay” the Morgan guy said.

He bought the paper and read it sitting in a bench. The weather was perfect, not too hot, for a change. And there were families having fun on the beach, teenagers skating and tourists taking pictures. It was another nice day in Miami.  
Morgan. Dexter Morgan, as it reads on his badge, decides it's time for a vacation after the death of his wife. It wasn't exactly a loss. He mourned and avenged her, because it's what he was expected to do. She was very dear to him, an addition to his life who brought him a son. Harrison had to leave Miami with him, if he wanted to look like a normal parent on holidays from work, away from a tragedy.  
It could work...

His Sergeant answers to his request right away and by afternoon he's packed everything he'd need for a month. Only his sister wants to know where he's going and the answer looses between a sob and something about Rita, so a hug prevents him from telling. And so he smiles, caressing the strap of his bag full of shiny, sharp knives. Baltimore awaits his arrival... 

 

“We'll tell you the news when you awake” Will says before she closes her eyes and drifts into sleep.

She felt safe and her sleep was dreamless. Only a tiny bubble in her chest forbid her going into full darkness, magenta and purple, shedding its light everywhere. The bond was stronger than ever.

Later that night, she woke up to the moonlight. The thick curtains were tied up and the windows were closed and frosted. She had a blanket over her body. She was on her side -the one with her ribs healed- and she could feel her wings against her back. The bed was so comfortable she felt she was floating. But her stomach grumbled and she needed to find food. So she swung her legs over the bed and her feet touched the wooden floor. It hurt to stand up but she made it in less than a minute. She ended up panting, leaned into the post of the bed.  
Someone braided her hair to one side.

Her wings were still heavy and hurt from all they were through, so she hid them and walked to the door. There was light in the other side and when she stepped out of the room, she found herself in a corridor. To the left, more corridor, a window and a room in front of her. To the right, the source of light. She walked leaning into the wall, her hand keeping her upright. Then she found a big chandelier in the ceiling and a staircase that lead her down. The stairs were easy and she was in front of the door in no time. She turned to the left and found the kitchen. It was dark, so she turned to the other side and the library was there... it was spacious, the room was big and tall and there was a ladder. There was a long table that seemed very heavy and six chairs around it. A couple of comfortable chairs one in front of the other in a window and a computer on the other side. It was dark too.

After a few minutes she was finally in the living room with a bowl of hot soup, bread, water and oil bread sticks, watching Love Actually in a huge television, cocooned in a blanket. She found a pair of Winter socks in Hannibal’s room. In her bedroom the only clothes for her were those she was wearing at the moment and a bathrobe.   
When the movie ended she explored some more and found a garden and a big storage house. It was locked and took a short walk. It was well maintained and the flowers were waiting for the Spring to come. She went inside and heated a long glass of milk and drank it watching Pushing Daisies until the door opened. She hurried to see who it was and found Will and Hannibal laughing at something, carrying groceries bags full of food. Will's knitted hat had snowflakes already melting and he had bags under his eyes. Otherwise, his laugh made it clear he was happy. Hannibal was smiling too, but his lips were a light curve and his eyes were on Will all the time. That, until Will almost dropped his bags and gasped when he saw her. He let the bags on the floor and ran to hold her in a tight embrace.  
She heard Hannibal take the groceries to the kitchen and then coming back to them.

“You're awake...” Will said, as if he needed her to confirm it. She nodded, tears in her eyes. 

Then Hannibal’s arms were on her too and the bond tugged at her happily. Family, it said to her soul. She hadn't felt the same with his biological father. Maybe because he didn't need her as much as they did.

“Can't breathe...”

“Oh sorry” Will apologized and both of them took a look at her.

“You need to eat something” said Hannibal.

“Oh, I served myself a bowl of soup and milk. I'll be okay for another ten minutes” they laughed. “Well, I remember Will telling me you two had something to say. Some news” she looked at them both and frowned when they hesitated. “Good news or bad news?”

Hannibal sighed and guided them into the kitchen. They all sat on the table. She was worried. What if they had to send her to a psychiatric or a Hospital? She was done with hospitals for a lifetime. Abigail didn't want to loose them now. Not after all their suffering, her included.

“What is it, then?”

Will took her hand but it was Hannibal the one who explained.

“Will is pregnant”

Will... Oh. Pregnant. Oh. Well, that was... oh.

“A brother or sister?” silly question. Well done, Abby. 

“We hope so” Will answered, laughing. Then he stopped. “You're not happy about it...”

“No, no, no... it's not that, it's just... I thought I was too old to have a brother or sister and now... well”

“He's about three weeks. He might have conceived on the second or third day of Heat, we're not sure. A double Nephilim like me and a pure Angel have never bred before so it's not clear how it happened and for how long he'll carry the baby before it's born. So after the ninth month we're going to Heaven to complete the pregnancy, deliver, and your sibling will receive the Grace, like we all did before. It's too soon to ask, I know. But... will you come with us?”

Both of them looked at her, patiently. She actually found herself happy, looking forward to meet her or him. A sibling... new family, new house... New everything. Her old self was already gone, she needed to create new moments, new feelings and new experiences. 

So she smiled and squeezed both their hands. “Of course I'll go to Heaven with my parents to meet my little brother or sister”

Will and Hannibal breathed, relieved.

“You'll be able to feel it in less than a month” Will said.

“How so?”

“The bond with Will will create first, on the first month, a few days later with me, and after two weeks with the rest of the family... which is you” Hannibal answered, pointing a finger to her. 

“I like the idea of a baby brother, so you better have a boy” she said to Will.

“I'd love a boy” Will confessed. Hannibal looked at him, a wrinkle between his eyes. “What? We all have preferences” Will shrugged. 

“I... just want a healthy family”

Abigail smiled and Will winked at him.  
Hannibal made dinner while Will told her how they rescued her, how Hannibal had killed Dale and how Freddie Lounds helped them, too.

“We must be cautious, though” said Will. “That woman only helps herself to get what she wants. It could take months, but we owe her a favor. You don't want to owe anything to a journalist”

“It's okay. I mean, I know I'm already in danger...” she said, lowering her voice, hands folded on her lap.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean... well, we... we're family and I'm going to live with this for the rest of my life and it's going to be so hard... I cherish my life. The only thing that's kept me alive from Dale was only me, trying to protect myself... I... I was arrogant and I made him feel like a fool to gain time. So I freed myself when I had the chance and, instead of leaving I...” 

She couldn't stand it anymore and she cried, Will's arms around her.

“Shhh it's okay, now” Hannibal said, kissing the top of her head. But she was shaking her head and whispering “no, no, no”

“Instead of leaving I tried to kill him, because that's what my father taught me!” she screamed.

Hannibal and Will looked at each other over Abigail's shoulder. She was digging her nails on Will's back and all her body was tense. Abigail expected them to call the police, the FBI and lock her up in cage for the rest of her life. What she didn't expect, though, was Hannibal telling her this.

“He taught you how to kill to survive”

“Hannibal!” replied Will. He ignored him.

“Abigail. We know she killed those girls so he didn't kill you. But you... what part did you take in those hunting trips?”

Abigail couldn't speak and she felt the air was leaving her.

“Hannibal, stop” said Will, in a dangerous tone.

“Did he make you look? Did he make you chose them? Did he make you kill them, too?” Hannibal asked, a hand on the back of her head. “Whatever you did, you did it to survive, Abigail...”

Will relaxed. He thought Hannibal was forcing her to confess what hell Garret Jacob Hobbs put her in. And maybe she did all those things but, in that moment, Will would have put himself between Crawford and Abigail. She was his daughter now and he would protect her, regardless of what she did or didn't. If Hannibal was right, and she did one or everything he thought, that wouldn't change anything. She was family, and you always protect family.

“You don't have to answer” Will hurried to say, looking at her. “You don't. But if you need to tell us, if it's too much for you, you'll be safe”

“Really? Am I not a monster? I... he used me to lure the girls but I didn't kill them. I promise I didn't but I hunt them and it felt right to be alive!”

Hannibal gathered her into his arms and looked at Will. He nodded. It was an agreement. Abigail was innocent and she wouldn't pay for Garret's sins.  
They waited for her to calm down and then Hannibal resumed what he was doing. Will took his backpack and started to grade a few tests while Abigail peeked at them and asked random questions about the answers or technicalities. Will was happy to answer them all. It was the first student he liked to talk to. Hannibal cooked another Russian dish: Shashlyk.  
They had dinner together for the first time as a family.

Later that night, Abigail was sound asleep when Will finally left her room. He waited until the bond calmed down, telling him she was too tired to even dream.   
He turned off the lights and headed to his and Hannibal’s room. Hannibal was reading on his Ipad, but put it aside when the door was closed. He looked up and Will stood there, half smiling.

“Our first night as a family”

“There'll be more first times for this family, Will”

“It's special, though. She's alive, safe...”

“Safe?”

“Well...” Will got closer and sat on the bed. He refused to look up. “If they knew what she's told us... Alana will come around, eventually. You know”

Hannibal sighed. “Yes, I know. And we should call her. It should be us to seek her counseling. I might be a psychiatrist, but I wouldn't be objective should I start to guide her. You trust Dr. Bloom, and I think that's the right choice”

Will was already shaking his head. It wouldn't work. 

“What if she says something that sounds... criminal?”

Hannibal chuckled. “She won't. She's already hiding something from us, Will. She's choosing very well her words...”

“You think so?” Will frowned. It didn't occur to him she might have more secrets. That she was being coerced by her father to take those girls was almost logical. A cruel logic for a cruel man. And she would obey, for she was a survivor.

Hannibal held out his hand and Will took it. 

“Get into our bed. Think about this and you decide what we'll do with Bloom”

Will stripped and slipped into the sheets. He was on his side, face to face with Hannibal. He felt good, having them in the same house, but he missed his dogs.   
Hannibal touched his belly and went down a few inches. They both smiled.

“Our baby is right there” Will said, all teeth.

“Almost one month. Who knows when will you deliver... I believe ten or eleven months top. You don't need a doctor, right?”

“No, I don't. Angels, regardless of our mate, don't need any kind of medicines or treatments. The baby will be fine, my body will take care of everything”

“What's my part, then?” Hannibal asked, lowering his hand until he grabbed Will's cock, making him gasp. He was half hard already.

“Well... uhm... it's your duty to make me feel... good and... oh!”

Hannibal’s thumb pressed lightly on the tip and Will got on his back, chest heaving and legs spreading. He couldn't help himself. The moment Hannibal lay hands on him, it was his doom.  
His mate was on top of him before he could ask for more, careful with his belly even though it was too soon, mouth on his neck. He bent up his knees and arched his back when Hannibal fingered him. He was so wet and tight inside, and it was the first time in two days... Will moaned when Hannibal added a second finger and thrust right into the prostate.

“Oh God, no, she's... aah.... she's going to wake up and listen”

“Turn around, on your knees and elbows...” Hannibal ordered. 

He pulled out his fingers and hurried to obey. Will felt Hannibal leave the bed and open a wardrobe. He came back with a tie. Looking a it with some kind of regret, Hannibal made him bite it and then he tied it at the base of his head.  
Will was so desperate now he couldn't even say no to a muzzle. He couldn't say he didn't like it, though...  
Hannibal was behind him, hands running up and down his back. 

“Your wings, Will. After the first month your wings will stay ethereal until a month after you give birth. Let's enjoy it while we can” he said.

Will moaned and bit the tie in his mouth. His wings appeared, first ethereal, transparent. Like they weren't there. Then they gained color and heaviness, almost going down. It was difficult to keep them in this world when the baby demanded so much energy already.

Hannibal pressed his hand in the middle of his wings, his muscles straining with the effort. He stretched his wings and Hannibal, on his knees behind him, caressed his feathers. They were smooth and soft, light brown, almost gold, reflecting the light of the lamp. He then felt the tip of Hannibal’s cock forcing its entrance inside him. He gripped the sheets tight and moaned. Hannibal was inside, not moving, and Will was going to scream if his mate didn't make him come soon.  
In that moment, he felt pressure on his oil glands and his eyes rolled back from the pleasure on his back and inside him. Hannibal was moving, pulling out an inch, then slowly back. Wings oiled up. Two inches, slowly back inside. Three inches and thrusting up. 

This pace continued for minutes, Hannibal wasn't going to let him come so soon and Will loved every second of it. His body was on fire and his head was a mess. The only thing he knew for sure was Hannibal’s hands on his wings, cock filling him up and a wet tie in his mouth. He felt his own lubricating running down his thighs and he groaned when Hannibal collected a few drops with his finger and, Will looking over his shoulder, saw him lick it off. That made him clench around Hannibal, and his usually quiet mate whined and gripped Will's hip. That was a victory and Will wiggled hips up and back.

“You want to move?” Hannibal asked, panting. Will nodded frantically. Then he was being pulled up and against Hannibal’s chest. His soft feathers brushing harshly on his skin. He was sitting on Hannibal’s lap, impaling himself on his cock. He didn't know how his hands ended at his lower back, in a tight grasp. Hannibal licked his ear and bit his neck. “Then move...”

Will was panting, his legs weakening, almost limp and spread.

He moaned when Hannibal thrust a few times in shallow movements of his hips. Will's head lolled back on Hannibal’s shoulder. He was defeated by his own wishes.

His mate chuckled mischievously and brought his lubed hand –from Will's oiled wings–, reached around and pumped his cock, thrusting up, roughly. Will came within seconds, Hannibal following right after.  
Will would have fallen down on the bed if not for Hannibal’s hand on his chest. He pulled out and let Will on his back. His wings weren't there.

The tie was resting on his shaky hand and he only felt enough energy to breathe. His other hand traveled up his belly and caressed the skin there. It was still flat. He was looking forward to be showing. He smiled when Hannibal came back and cleaned them both. The towel felt harsh on his skin and he flinched. The thighs weren't so bad. 

“What a mess”

Hannibal nodded and let the towel fall, bit his lip and threw the soiled sheet to the other side of the room. He seemed unsure.

“What is it?” asked Will, reaching out to touch his knee.

“I've been too rough on you, Will. I'm sorry” and he looked away.

“Don't you think I would've stopped you if it was unpleasant?”

“You've just flinched”

“You should buy soft towels”

Hannibal didn't come up with anything better than that and left the bed again.

“Hey, I'm sorry-” Will let it go and sighed. Well done, Graham...

Hannibal reappeared seconds later with another towel, smaller, and dipped the bed on his side when he sat again. Will looked at him but his mate was focused on his crotch. He made him bend his knees and open his legs. Then he reached down with the towel, damp and warm, and pressed it against his sore entrance, still throbbing. He gasped and relaxed. After a minute or so, Hannibal folded the towel and threw it away, landing on the sheets.

Hannibal looked guilty. 

Will reached up and grabbed him the his hair, pulling him in for a kiss. When they were laying on their sides, Hannibal’s big wings covering and protecting Will's body, he felt his mate's hand resting on his belly. He knew right away that hand wasn't going anywhere until morning. Will fell asleep with light kisses and bites on his neck. 

“You're a nibbler...” he reprimanded Hannibal with what he wanted to seem a stern voice. It made Hannibal laugh and bite harder.

 

When Hannibal woke up, it was to the sound of pans and plates clattering in his kitchen. His first instinct was to find the source of the noise and finding whoever was on is home to make a fancy dish for the night. He put on a thick robe and went downstairs. Then, when he was almost there, he remembered Abigail.  
Last night everything went so well with her he was looking forward to spend more time with his new daughter. 

The first thing he saw of her were her wings. White on top and light gold on her primaries and secondaries feathers. Her back was to him and her wings spread as much as the kitchen allowed it. They were small, just like her. Thin and elegant. They were almost completely healed and looked good. 

“Do you need any help”

She turned around and smiled, one pan on each hand.

“Good morning! Yes uhmm... I was going to make breakfast before you two were up, but... well, in fraganti”

Hannibal smiled and told her to wait. He turned around and up the stairs. Will was still sleeping and he put on some pajamas -he stopped using them since Will and he were sleeping together- and threw a blanket over his mate, after admiring the view, of course.

They made breakfast and Abigail found she liked cooking. 

“Today Will doesn't go to work, his students will be training all day. He's going home to feed the dogs and spend some time with them. Do you want to go?”

Abigail frowned and tilted her head.

“Are you two not living together?”

“We both like our independence. He likes his dogs and his house too much. In time I'll move with him, if he allows it”

“Are you willing to leave all this?” she asked, sweeping a hand in the air.

“I am willing to leave anything for him. And for you. If you prefer to stay here once I've moved, you can stay. If not, well... this could be your weekend residence. I believe you like independence too, sometimes. Time to think, to study, to just relax. In a few months that house is going to be a mess with dogs and a baby”

Abigail laughed and they both moved around the kitchen in silence until they heard the doorbell. Abigail looked at him, frowning. He took off his apron, folded it, and opened the front door. It was Alana Bloom. She was wearing along coat, scarf and tall boots with short heels. She smiled and greeted him.

“Did we have an appointment?” he asked. He knew they didn't, but it was polite.

“Nope. I just came to say hello to Abigail. I'm not here as a doctor, Hannibal”

He smiled an stepped aside to let her in. She hugged Abigail and he let them talk. Cooking, but also listening, he paced in his kitchen. It was always like a dance for him. It relaxed him and thrilled him at the same time.  
After a few moments, he felt a tug in his chest and knew the bond responded to a slight feeling of loneliness. Will was awake. And alone. He felt guilty again and the memories of last night came to him. He hurt Will, that he knew. And Will was just being too good for him. This couldn't happen again... from now on, he told himself all their lovemaking was going to be tender and slow. He couldn't risk hurting Will or the baby. He was a monster but no monster would hurt his family. Not even him.

With the fires turned off, he ran up the stairs and found Will in the shower. The door was open so he felt invited.

“Will?”

“Shower!”

“I know, I'm here”

Will turned around and Hannibal wasn't prepared for his huge green eyes -today they looked green-, all his curls plastered down with big drops of water running all over his body. His lips looked pink and his upper lip was just sinful. He pressed his thumb on his upper lip before kissing him deeply.

“Good morning” Will rasped, smiling.

“Are you okay?”

“A little sore from last night. Worth it”

Hannibal grimaced and told him to hurry because Alana was downstairs talking to Abigail. He entered the big wardrobe and changed into his usual three-piece suit. It was warm, comfortable and Will loved to strip him off layer by layer. Will was drying off when he was ready to go out.

“You have some clothes there that might fit you. Second closet, on your left side. I don't think you want any ties, do you?”

Will snorted as his only answer and Hannibal left. He heard Alana and Abigail chatting. He felt the bond calm so he didn't need to worry. 

 

Dexter Morgan took his luggage, his trolley with his two year old son, and called a taxi out of the airport. He checked in the Baltimore Marriot Waterfront and put all his clothes in place. He didn't have much to do that afternoon so he took Harrison and took a long walk to know a few places of interest. Dr. Alana Bloom, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Jimmy Price, Brian Zeller, Jack Crawford, Beverly Katz, William Graham and half a dozen more people he was going to analyze and watch were on his list. That day he got to see from afar Jack Crawford's home and Brian Zeller's flat. The rest would have to wait.  
He took his phone and dialed Wendy Hershel. He found her phone number soon because it was public and she was living here for years now.

“Yes?” she asked, unsure. He remembered her voice.

“Hi. It's Dexter Morgan, from the Miami Metro Police. It's been years, but I found you when-”

“Oh my God... it's you” she said, whispering. “You're the man who saved me and then sent me here”

“Yes” he laughed. “I'm on holidays... well, I took a few weeks because my wife died recently and I stumbled here. I'm sick of sunny Miami”

“Oh... that's so sad... I'm sorry Mr. Morgan”

“Oh, it's just Dexter”

“Listen, I have some business here with family and a possible job, you know. I brought my son with me and I was wondering if you could babysit him for a few hours everyday while we're here. If you're already busy I understand... you can't quit our job for a stranger and-”

“No, it's... it's okay. I mean, I quit my job and I'm free and, mostly, looking for something to do. Babysitting is okay, I guess. Besides, I'd like to know more about my hero”

“Well, then it's settled. How about we meet tomorrow at ten pm? There's this cafeteria... uhmm Humbert's”

“Yeah, I'll be there” she sighed. “Thank you, for calling. I've always wondered what happened to you. I never saw you after you... well, took me out of there”

“Well, I'm a good person, I guess. I like to help people, that's what I do for life”

Two hours later they were having dinner at the hotel and the rest of the night they watched movies. Tomorrow, he said, would start his plan of finding the Chesapeake Ripper and put an end to his life.

 

Alana sighed in relief when she took off her shoes and let the coat on the bed. She wanted to get comfy and curl up with Bev watching some stupid movie. She was tired of work and it was late. Besides, she'd stayed with Abigail later that afternoon again, to ask her if she wanted a counselor, a friend, or a psychiatrist. Abigail wanted the latest and that surprised Alana. That girl knew what happened to her was so wrong and unfair she actually wanted help. And Alana would provide her help. Then, a friend. She should form any personal bound with her patients, but Abigail was almost family now and she wanted to be there for her.  
Stretching her wings, she took off her dress and, naked, walked over the closet to get her robe. It was a present from Beverly and it had some Hindi patterns that she loved. She put it on and went to the living room, where Beverly had her desk. She was so focused on her work she didn't hear Alana.

“Busy?”

Beverly looked up and smiled. She looked tired, too. The demon nodded and sighed.

“You should rest”

“Why are you so late?” she asked, looking at her watch. 

“Oh, I've been with Abigail Hobbs. She needs help and I offered to be her psychiatrist. I was going to ask her when her father was killed, but... well”

Beverly frowned and looked down at her papers. She was muttering something and cursing.

“What is it?” Alana asked, then stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder.

Beverly found a report and took a paper.

“Here. These are some records of two universities. Three victims of the Minnesota Shrike went there and disappeared a Friday, to be found dead on Monday”

“So, what?”

“Abigail Hobbs and her father were there at the same time”

Alana stared at her, wanting to believe it was a joke, a coincidence or a mistake. It could mean other completely different thing. Maybe Hobbs liked to hunt these girls with Abigail close to him, but that didn't mean she killed them too.

“Zeller and Price found it this morning, but I didn't tell Crawford. If he knows, he'd going after her. We need to confirm if this is true, first. If you can find out what was Abigail's part on her father's crimes, we can save her or...”

Alana nodded absently and sat next to her mate. Beverly squeezed her hand and stood up. She heard her in the kitchen.  
If Abigail was hiding something this big, and it wasn't what she thought, maybe she had information. That would be the reason she asked for help.

“Please, Abigail, don't be like him...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... just... don't kill me. I promise Dex is going to play a very interesting part.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone knows Will is pregnant, Freddie doesn't like Wendy's old friend and Dexter Morgan finds the Chesapeake Ripper.  
> Also, embarrassing moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, my tumblr is here: http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/

Freddie was typing steadily on her laptop, focused on her story of a love affair that ended with both lovers dead by a very angry husband. The FBI had to investigate for a week to arrest the suspect, and two more days to prove he was the killer. Losing Special Agent Will Graham, as she stated in her article, was making the FBI slow. She had no great sympathy for Graham, but she had to recognize talent and the FBI wasted it.

She spotted blue on the corner of her eye and saw Wendy trotting with her heels from bedroom to bathroom, make-up accessories in hand. She was so excited to meet with her old savior in Miami, before she met Freddie. Freddie, on her side, wasn't happy, not one bit. That guy came up so suddenly with no apparent reason, other than being in vacation, that Freddie didn't like him. She was going to follow them, and watch that guy. He wanted a babysitter for his kid and that was okay, but his business were not clear. Her mind worked fast. They would meet at Humbert's, soon. Freddie would take the car and drop her right there, but she wouldn't leave. The laptop was fully charged and she already had the name.   
There was one thing she didn't tell, though... she was a great hacker, and she was going to use her skills, somehow. She still didn't know if his computer on the Miami Metro building was still there, or he worked with his computer. If it was the latest, he was a fool and a lucky strike, for her. 

When Wendy was ready, Freddie slipped her laptop in her purse and they left to get the car. Wendy sang George Michael all the way to Humbert's -two songs- and then she kissed her. Wendy walked straight to a ginger guy, tall, handsome. He was dressed in jeans and and a long sleeved shirt, a leather jacket under his arm. By his side, there was a little, blonde kid; his son. It was too cold and obviously, the guy wasn't dressed for Baltimore, but he seemed just fine. An Angel? No, a Nephilim. Angels had a dim aura that every demon saw, and Dexter Morgan had nothing like that. Then she understood; a Demon/Human Nephilim. Demons didn't feel the weather, and she supposed Dexter felt very little of it. 

Freddie had installed a long distance earpiece device on Wendy's purse. She couldn't get a smaller one, so she hid it between two leather straps. She hoped it went unnoticed. Demons like her could hear, smell and see better than humans or even Angels, but she didn't want Wendy to see her car so she parked it behind the building and waited there, laptop ready. While they talked -he introduced Harrison- and told the waitress what they wanted, Freddie did some research that anyone could read about Dexter Morgan: he was adopted after the brutal murder of her mother in a cargo container by the officer who took him from the crime scene, Harrison Morgan. He had a younger sister, Debra, also a cop. Dexter worked for the Miami Metro as blood-spatter analyst, homicide division. Recently widowed. Everything seemed just fine.  
She was reading some cases he'd been directly involved when Wendy said something about her. Freddie frowned.

“Yes, she's my mate!”

“Wow... your mate is famous”

“Well, it's better if people doesn't know she has a mate. We manage. It's been great to see you, really, I was feeling lonely lately. She's been working a lot...”

“Yeah, uhm... the Chesapeake Ripper”

“And the Nephilim Slayer. Awful title, but... you know, Christopher Dale was my boss”

“Dale? The Nephilim Slayer? Oh, that's... messed up. I've read Freddie Lounds was there, with Agent Graham and his mate?”

“It's Special Agent, because he's kind of a... mind reader for psychopaths and sociopaths. And yes, his mate, Dr. Lecter. He's very famous, you know? I don't really know him, but he's old, very old, like... he was born a few centuries before the Revelation”

“That's very interesting! I'm here because I wanted to collaborate with the FBI. See if I could talk to some students about my job”

“Aaaw that's cute! You're a cop?”

“Kind of. Blood analyst. You see, my wife was murdered a few months ago and I wanted a change. See if I could stay here for a while. Besides, I'm very interested on this Ripper. Some extra help, you know?”

“That's... very thoughtful, Dexter. I'm glad you're here”

“Thank you... well, tell me about you”

Wendy told him how she ended up again being a slave, basically, but how Freddie rescued her and shortly after, they were mated. He felt sorry for her but also happy she had a good life, after all. He told her, half an hour later, where his hotel was, and a number where she could find him. Then Dexter payed and they left for a walk. She wanted to show him a few parks where Harrison could play.

Freddie smiled. The Baltimore Marriot Waterfront, then. She started the engine and, in less than five minutes, she was in the lobby. She had to be quick. She took the stairs, in case there were cameras inside the elevators, and forced the door of Dexter Morgan's room. It only took two minutes and then she was in. his laptop was on the table. She wanted to explore the room and take a look at his clothes, closet and drawers. No time. She put on her leather gloves and opened the laptop, introducing a very special USB she used to take a look at his files, unlocking automatically every obstacle. A gift from his hacker friend, Mirror. Good guy.   
Once she was in, her jaw dropped. He had files of every case he worked on. Pictures. Reports, testimonies, addresses... everything was there. Personal pictures, files and history clear... she used her UBS file “Thirsty 2.0” to install a mirror program to see his movements on his laptop once she connected hers. It took twenty long minutes she used to take a look at his room. She had a black, she had a bag on her hands when the computer beeped. Freddie let the bag exactly where it was, took her USB and turned off the laptop. She left the room and drove home. She installed the directions to use “Thirsty 2.0” from her computer to MiaDM -Dexter Morgan's laptop- and, five minutes later, Wendy arrived home.  
She brought pizza and Freddie forgot about Dexter Morgan for two hours.

 

Soon, that morning, Will and Abigail woke up and dressed for the day. She looked completely healed and smiled at him, every time. They ate breakfast and left Hannibal’s house before he awoke. They drove to the mall and Abigail talked about high school, before everything went to Hell. 

“What are your plans now?” he asked her.

She shrugged and hesitated. She didn't look troubled at all. At sixteen years, an Angel/Human Nephilim only went to school until that age. Then college or whatever they wanted to study or do for life. It was time for Abigail to choose. Or not. He didn't want to push her.

“How about the FBI?” she answered with another question. He chuckled.

“The FBI? Are you sure? You know... you fall in love with the Bureau, but the Bureau doesn't fall in love with you”

“What does it mean?”

“You'll give your life to the FBI, but when politics wants you out of the way and your boss is only a slave, you're less than nothing. It doesn't matter you're smarter than them, because they don't need you anymore. I've seen food trainees leave under the stress. I've seen good agents fall... You don't want that”

“Are you...?”

He laughed and nodded. He parked and unbuckled his belt but neither of them moved.

“I didn't know this could ever happen to me. I've been working for them for so many years... I'm of it all. I just want to... rest and have my kid and form a family with you and Hannibal. It's... I've never asked for this, I've never planned this but...” Will looked up and smiled at her. “The circumstances changed with Hobbs and...”

“He's not here anymore” she said in a pained voice.

“I'm sorry”

“I know” she looked down at her hands.

“We need to move on. You're not alone and it's not fair I'm the one to give you a family, Abigail, but believe me... you're as lost as we were before we met”

When she looked up she was crying. “Does it get better? All the pain, the loss..? I miss my mom and some memories of my father make me forget he was a psychopath”

“It gets better”

 

They stayed in the car for a few minutes until she calmed down. Will felt sorry for not saving her mother, for taking away the life of her father, even though that life was slowly killing her. He had no doubts: Garret Jacob Hobbs would have killed her, eventually.  
Abigail passed a scarf around her neck, to hide the scar, and waited for him. He took his keys and closed the car. Then they entered the mall.

“You'll need new clothes. The house does not belong to you anymore, and all the stuff that was in there is gone by now. Let's get you anything you need”

They bought clothes, music, an Ipad, a new phone, notebooks and a laptop. He could afford it all: he had a lot of savings from his mothers, the Grahams and his own, working hard for more than sixty years for the FBI. He didn't want to think of the money Hannibal had, being a noble of more than five centuries. 

They left the shopping bags at the car and had lunch in a restaurant inside the mall. He ate two burgers.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him, mouth full of food.

“I'm... okay, I guess”

“I mean... the baby”

“Oh” his hand was placed over his belly without him knowing. “I should be feeling the bond within days, now. I'm hungry all day, which is ridiculous because the baby is still an embryo”

“But Hannibal is a Nephilim”

“A special one, yes”

“Then it's normal. It's not an embryo, it's already a baby and it's demanding food” 

Will looked up, frowning. How did she even know about it?

“Care to explain?”

“My mom told me that when she was pregnant, she started to feel like you, hungry all day, after only one month. My father was an Angel, but what was growing up was me, a Nephilim, so we develop faster. It's normal” she said, one eyebrow arched, tapping his hand playfully. 

“If you say so...” he accepted and ordered a sandwich.

“Do you have... morning sickness?”

“Nope. I'm an Angel. Regardless of the baby's DNA, I'm still an Angel”

“Good. But if you want something to calm down your stomach, eat apples and cheese”

“Will do” he assured, mouth full of tuna sandwich.

Two hours later, they were at Will's house. She had never been there and the dogs were a happy surprise. All his dogs jumped at her and smell her clothes and hands. They left all the bags and groceries and walked the dogs, in the forest. He notices she was used to be out in the nature. She didn't make a sound with her feet and she only talked when asked something. They talked about hunting and he thought she knew more than she showed. She was an expert huntress, very intelligent and brave.

Will thought she really wanted to kill Dale, instead of just escaping her torture. She wanted him dead, and he knew she would've killed him. Did Abigail wanted those girls dead, too? Not only for survival...

He shook it off his head and they returned home after an hour. It was getting late and he called Hannibal. He told him everything they did that morning.

“I miss you, though” he said, heating up the noodles. Abigail was watching The Lord of the Rings, his dogs curled up around her. Her feet over Winston. He loved it.

“I miss you, too. I've been busy today, and I received an unexpected visit; an old colleague, Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier.”

“Old friend?”

“Yes. I knew her in Florence”

“When have you been-...?”

“Two years before we met. I worked there. Library curator”

“Wonder why...” he muttered. He heard Hannibal chuckling. “Why did you leave so soon? Only two years for such an amazing job...”

“I had to come back. This colleague, Bedelia, talked about one of her patients she couldn't handle anymore. So I took him from her and he's been with me since then”

“Oh, I understand”

“How are you feeling, Will?”

“Hungry, again. Soon, I'll be so big I won't fit in your bed”

Hannibal laughed and said that wouldn't happen. Hannibal had to leave soon, to cook for the next day, and he asked Will if he could call Alana, for her first session with Abigail. Soon after hanging up, he called her and she said she was free in an hour.

“Isn't it too late?”

“Bev's with Price tonight. They have work to do, so I'm alone. Let me finish my dinner and I'll be there in an hour or two, okay?”

“Sure, I'll tell Abigail. Thank you”

“You're welcome, dear”

Will brought noodles and pie and told Abigail to never tell Hannibal what they ate that night. Two hours later, Alana knocked on the door.

 

Alana dressed up and drove to Will's house in the middle of nowhere. She really wanted to take care of Abigail's condition and it'd be safer with her in a comfortable place. Will's house seemed perfect. It was warm in winter, he had a million lovely dogs and the fireplace was great. She didn't know why weren't living in the same house already, but that was none of her business.  
It was freezing outside and she almost ran up from her car to Will's porch. Will opened the door and when she stepped in, the heat was comforting. Abigail had a laptop over her knees, and three dogs around her. She wore a long and big robe that was obviously Will's robe. She looked so small.  
Abigail greeted her and closed the laptop, standing up. Will walked them to a small room that was meant to be a little office or a small bedroom.  
Abigail sat in front of her and Alana took her Ipad and started the session.

She began with harmless questions. Her life with Hannibal and Will, how she coped with her situation and if she felt happy or, at least, content. She answered satisfactorily to every question. She was nervous but didn't seem preoccupied. 

“What do you expect with your new life?”

“Happiness. Forgetting everything else. Whoever I was before, it's gone. Now I'm... just Abigail. I should change my last name”

Practical, she wrote.

“Mmmh”

“I've talked to them, about my future. I'd like to try and get into the FBI”

That surprised Alana.

“Do you?”

“Yes. I mean, I know it's hard, but I think I might be of some help with psychopaths”

“Why? You've been endangered before”

“And I've survived” she laughed bitterly and touched her hair. That was uncomfortable for her. “I mean, two psychopaths, whose reasons only understood themselves, made me their target. One of them failed, and the other had a weakness. I need to know why”

Alana nodded and typed. 

“How about you let me talk about this with Jack Crawford?”

“Okay”

“Good. You're sixteen. That's extremely young, and you've been involved in so much danger already... how does it affect you?”

“It's hard, obviously”

“It doesn't seem to have a great impact on you” she observed. 

“It's only for all the help I've received. Will and Hannibal saved me. Twice. I have a bond that keeps my head... steady. And I thank the bond and them for it. I understand and cope with all this like everything else. I'm very practical”

Alana smiled.

“I see”

Alana talked about her father but she avoided direct answers and, instead, she wanted to know about Will and Hannibal as parents. Abigail laughed sweetly.

“Oh, they treat me like an adult. It's not awkward, but I still see him as the one who took my father's life. I understand why, but still... I love them, don't get it wrong”

“Of course. You're all bonded”

“It's more than that. I feel like... we belong together. Something makes us... right”

When it was over, Alana had so much material she didn't know where to start when she arrived home. The girl hid something but it didn't mean it meant murder. The next session would go better, she knew.

 

Dexter Morgan had papers everywhere. Some were notes, others reports, articles and blurry pictures.   
It was his second day of research and he found what he was looking for. He'd found the Chesapeake Ripper. Everything was there. He was there, in the best place to hide: in front of everyone. He'd fooled them, he'd played with them.

His research started with the first time the Chesapeake Ripper killed in Baltimore, five years ago. It was so brutal that the FBI had to interfere with the Police and the press. The tortures began. Men, women, Angels, Demons, Nephilims... there wasn't distinction. Some organs were removed, trophies, they said. Then a trainee disappeared, too and the Ripper went silent for two years. His modus operandi changed every time, but the cruelty was there, always. Seventeen cases were filed, no suspects. Dexter found another ten missing victims he swore it was him.  
By coincidence, he found an article by Freddie Lounds, about how some Rinaldo Pazzi caught Il Monstro di Firenze -the Monster of Florence. That “monster” had been killing for ten years, then stopped for three years. Everyone was shocked when the nightmare continued for one and a half year more. The murderer was caught, but no one linked it with the Chesapeake Ripper so it went unnoticed it was the same person. Or monster.  
Dexter smiled. He was a monster, too. And he was specialized in killing monsters. This one reminded him of Trinity. This time, he wanted to kill him fast.

Later, he found the name of the trainee and, shockingly, there were two store houses she visited before going missing. One of them was a waste of time. He found the brother of one of the victims before Florence. He said to Dexter the same thing he told Miriam Lass, years ago: his brother was a stupid man, who got killed for his mouth, violence and bad manners, like almost every day in their childhood and youth. He had it coming, he said. But he also tried to help him, sending him to a psychiatrist: Dr. Hannibal Lecter.  
That surprised him. It wasn't coincidence now, to find that name twice in his investigation. But he kept tracking Miriam's last walk, and went to talk to her best friend in the academy. Samantha Clerk, 35 now, still had some of her belongings. She had a diary and Samantha said he could keep it. No one was interested in such childish things, so she just kept it. She didn't need it anymore.   
So Dexter went to the hotel, Harrison was with Wendy Hershel, and opened the diary. The FBI was just useless, he said when he found Miriam's last entry. “It was a mystery until now, the motive. It might be stupid, but all these men and women were arrogant, selfish and despicable people. We're not looking for a normal serial killer. We're after a psychopath, or a monster very close to that term. He's sadistic and the only reason to kill is... because they've, somehow, offended him. […] Maybe it's just I'm tired, but this Dr. Hannibal Lecter might know the Ripper or he's covering him. I'll go to his office first thing in the morning and get some old reports to see if there's something in him. I'll call Crawford by afternoon, I'm too tired now. ML”

Hannibal Lecter again. Then she went missing. He killed her, but that was an “accident”. He killed arrogant people. That man had too much ego. 

So, Hannibal was the first suspect. What do we know about him? He found some articles in medicine magazines and important studies in surgery and psychiatry. He found Dr. Lecter was a Nephilim, raised in Lithuania before Revelation, orphan, and victim of a war or two. Still, he survived. Then he had a mate, a human woman who died more than twenty years ago. Then nothing more.   
Until Garret Jacob Hobbs. He was hired to take care of Special Agent Will Graham's mental health and to assist the investigation, or so Freddie Lounds said, in multiple articles. A “copycat” appeared and, later, Hobbs was caught but killed by Graham. His daughter, badly cut, made it to the hospital and was healed within days, until she was kidnapped by another killer. The Nephilim Slayer. Stupid name.   
Surprise again! Agent Graham and Dr. Lecter adopted her after a family bonding. Apparently, they were mates and the killer of Hobbs took his daughter with them. Dexter snorted. That family was so full of secrets... 

Now he had to find more answers. One of them was to prove the Chesapeake Ripper was also Il Monstro di Firenze. So he found, not really surprised, that Dr. Hannibal Lecter had two years free, and spent them in Italy until three months before Garret Jacob Hobbs. Of course he framed another man to be the Monster. He wondered how, but he already had the proof. It was him.  
Another question. Was Abigail Hobbs following her former father's steps? Was Agent Graham's gift a fake?  
It was time to meet the family.

 

Will walked in fearing the worst. His wings had gone full ethereal. Full-time. Full-fucking-perfect. Now everyone would know he was pregnant. He didn't want to keep it a secret, but he just wanted to go unnoticed, as always. His students would react like normal people, congratulating him and touching him and he hated it. So he didn't look up until he was on his desk, left his leather case on top and told them to find the motive in the last case Jack Crawford and his team were working on. It was so simple he wanted to laugh and say how stupid they were. But his pride was hurt and the murderer wasn't going to kill in another ten days. There was still time.

On his second period, he was so hungry he took an apple from his bag and ate it right there, while reading The National Geographic. Whales were nice.   
After twenty minutes his mind was on Abigail. It was the first time she stayed at his home, alone. Alana would be there in an hour or so, for their next session. She loved the dogs and she had her laptop and books. She wasn't interested in going out, not yet.   
Will received a message from her, telling him she was going out for a run with Winston and Basil, and she would be back on time for a shower and Alana's session. 

Before that class was over, one of his students -he didn't know their names- came down and congratulated him in the name of the whole class. He thanked her and she left. Awkward and unnecessary. He knew many of them didn't even know he was an angel, only an Omega, for his smell. He ate another apple.

By last period, everyone in the Academy knew he was pregnant. He ignored their looks but their souls were so excited he shut off his senses and escaped into the cafeteria. Katz, Alana and Zeller were already there. Zeller winked at him.

He looked up and asked Alana how it went with Abigail.

“She's traumatized but, whatever you two are doing, keep doing it. She's just expressed she wants to join the FBI and I don't see why not. I mean, she needs a goal, something to focus on. She's capable of this and much more. Abigail is very young, she's only sixteen, but she's a Nephilim and that gives her extra years. Encourage her to follow her dream”

He doubted that was her dream but said nothing. She wanted some kind of revenge on his father's memory. His code, whatever it was, would die with him. He smiled. Maybe she lured the girls, but she was not like Garret Jacob Hobbs. He doubted he would love her less even she was...

 

To his surprise, Jack Crawford was waiting for him by his car. He sighed but tried to approach him friendly. After all, they were friends.

“Hi”

“Alana told me the Hobbs girl wants to be here”

Not friendly, then.

“What's the problem? And she's not the Hobbs girl anymore. She's our daughter”

“I'll never understand those laws of yours, Angels, but I'm from a very human town with very human laws and she's still her father's daughter”

Will counted to ten.

“You've got nothing against her, Jack”

“Just wait. If she wants to join in, let her. But it'll be tough, being the daughter of the Minnesota Shrike”

Then he walked out and Will drove home sulking and very angry.  
By the time he parked, he didn't even notice Hannibal’s car and opened the door to find him in the couch, with Abigail. She was in his bathrobe and curled up by Hannibal’s side, asleep. Hannibal was reading and caressing her hair. All his anger dissipated that moment.  
His dogs came up to say hello and he petted them. Will walked over the couch and, behind him, he let his soul free, reaching out, asking Hannibal to do the same. Hannibal let the book down and looked up, smiled and, before saying anything, Will kissed him. It was a new angle for them and Will found he didn't care: any angle was good to kiss.  
He found Hannibal’s soul in peace and his bond strong.   
They lingered for a few seconds before Will sat with them, by Hannibal’s other side.

“You look tired” he whispered. 

Will sighed and nodded. He snuggled closer to him and nuzzled at his neck. Hannibal passed his arm over Will's back and his hand remained on his belly, softly kneading wit his fingers. He rather liked that gesture too much.

“Is she really asleep? Like, a bomb wouldn't make a difference?” Will asked. Hannibal chuckled and said yes.

“Why?”

“I kind of need you. On the bed. Bed matters”

Will helped Hannibal untangle from Abigail, who was still sleeping by the time Will brought a blanket to throw over her. On their way to the bedroom, he couldn't keep his hands from Hannibal, gripping his vest and shirt, while Hannibal’s mouth did wonders on his jaw. Will's back landed, suddenly, on his bed. Hannibal took off his trousers, boxers and shirt and, sill clothed, leaned in to press his body to Will's own. Will moaned in his mouth, when their cocks pressed against each other. He spread his legs further apart to grab Hannibal’s hips and, with a thrust, pulling up with his arms, he turned them around. Hannibal just lay there, looking up into Will's eyes. Will's wings, almost invisible in the dim light, were open and tensed behind him. He felt his muscles stretch.

Will leaned in for a quick kiss that ended with a bite and Hannibal’s tongue on a tour inside his mouth. That distracted Will from Hannibal’s hands. One went to his hair and the other between his cheeks. Two fingers went inside him, easily with little resistance. He couldn't get away from the surprise with Hannibal’s hand pressing hard over his head. He moaned and, in defeat, Will went submissive. He just wanted to feel him.

“Do you want to ride me, Will? That's why you rolled me over...” Hannibal said to his ear, almost hissing.

His fingers were aiming up to his prostate and he could only hold the sheets and beg for more. He nodded and bit Hannibal’s shoulder to keep from screaming.

“She's going to-to listen if... we're not... careful”

Hannibal ignored him and made him sit back. Will couldn't think straight anymore. He felt Hannibal’s strong muscles under him, straining. He was holding back again, his knuckles white grasping his hip. His breathing was heavy and his nostrils flared. Will knew his scent was stronger now that he was pregnant... and very aroused. Will used that moment to lift himself up and impale on his cock, a long moan escaping from Hannibal’s mouth.

Will just sat there, feeling the stretch burn, so familiar to him now. He didn't know how much he'd needed it that day until now. He sighed in relief and took Hannibal’s hands, brought them over his head and pinned them there, on the pillow. This new angle allowed Will to use his legs to move easily, to just let gravity take what it needs, to have his belly closer to his mate's., rubbing his cock in between.   
Hannibal let Will take control, still submissive but demanding.   
Will moved his hands down to Hannibal’s chest and kept them there while he bounced slowly, at his own rhythm, making his mate grunt every time Will clenched, just because he could torture him like that. Hannibal thrust up and Will mewled, throwing hes head back. Then a hand was pumping his cock and it was over too soon. He came over Hannibal’s stomach and he let Hannibal reverse positions. The sheets were tangled up with their bodies and Will couldn't care less. There was a moment of silence when they looked at each other. Will was spent, satisfied, and probably asking for more. He saw a hunger in his mate's eyes. They were of a dark shade of red, maroon, with bright dots in the light. They were black, now. Will arched his back and bared his neck. Hannibal licked and suck his vein and thrust hard and fast until he came, aiming mercilessly up to Will's prostate. Almost hard again, he felt Hannibal’s seed sliding down to the sheets.   
Hannibal kissed him slowly, still overwhelmed, when they heard the door opening. A pair of blue eyes and a shout after closing the door with so much strength the mirror trembled.

They looked over the door open mouthed. Will blushed and hid his face on Hannibal’s chest.

“Caught in the act” he mumbled.

 

Abigail woke with a start. She was alone but she remembered falling asleep on Hannibal’s side, head on his chest. She liked to hear his heart. But now she was alone. She didn't like it and the lights were off. But there were noises in Will's bedroom. She got up and petted Winston's head on her way. She felt clumsy and dizzy from sleep.  
She didn't connect the noises with the activities that were happening behind the door until it was too late. A yelp escaped her mouth the moment she saw them, closing the door so fast and hard her hand hurt. She run to the kitchen and, heating up a mug of chocolate, she started to laugh. There was a first time for everything in this family, too.

 

They started to dress up slowly, not really wanting to go out there and see her scared eyes. Again. Will felt so embarrassed. Hannibal looked calm but he wasn't in a hurry, either.

“What do we say?”

“I'm sure she saw enough”

“You're not helping” Will chimed, buttoning up his trousers. He hated buttons. He hated being embarrassed.

Five minutes later, they found Abigail drinking hot chocolate and cookies. Hannibal sat in front of her, fingers laced in front of him. Will sat up on the counter. Abigail looked up and hid her smile behind her mug.

“We-” started Hannibal.

“Next time hang a tie outside or something”

 

After dinner, Hannibal received a message. He looked troubled and confused.

“I have to go to my office” he said, putting on his long coat.

“Is everything okay?”

“No. There's a patient there waiting for me, he says it's important and Bedelia is there with him. She's sent the message. I'll call you later”

He kissed Abigail's cheek and Will on his lips, before leaving. Abigail looked at him, frowning.

“Can we talk about how noisy you two are?”

 

Dexter Morgan closed the front door. Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier was sleeping when he let her phone back on the nightstand. In less than an hour Hannibal Lecter would go to his office and expect his friend with a very needy and annoying patient. Dexter would be there in fifteen minutes, ready to have a long talk with the good doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What do you think will happen next?


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter gets Hannibal and Will has a mental breakdown.

The ritual began the moment he threw the first plastic sheet over the floor. Then, using ropes, he made four plastic walls around the table. The lights inside the cubicle lit and Dexter put on his gear. He stepped back and admired what he did. The Kill Room was ready for its victim.

He roamed the office and peered at books and pictures, drawings and files, while the voices in his head screamed excited. This blood was going to be so... relieving. The Chesapeake Ripper on his table, at last. And the Monster of Florence, too. This one was a serial killer quite peculiar. His modus operandi wasn't exact. It seemed he killed with... heart.   
Dexter turned off the lights, shaking his head. That was ridiculous. Of course he had a way, a unique way of killing. Maybe the way he killed his victims wasn't his ritual, maybe it was what he did afterward. Still, this killer was not like the others. He had all the traces of a psychopath, a charming one, a leader. But his personality was not... normal. For a psychopath, that is.

Dexter sighed and leaned on the table. He opened the drawer and found an agenda, two pencils and a... scalpel. A scalpel? Here? He kept looking for something that might shed some light into this man's brain and he found a folder that made the hair on his neck stand on end. Drawings of men and women severed, tortured... the blood was real, it was dry but he recognized it. All of them had some organs on their sides with notes in French. He recognized the names, too. Recipes. This Chesapeake Ripper was a cannibal.

 

When Hannibal arrived to his office, he didn't see Bedelia's car or any other. He stopped two steps away from the door. It was slightly open and he smelled someone had been there. It was a human male, and he was still in his office. The soul he felt was strong, though, stronger than the average human. That only happened to psychopaths, schizophrenics, sociopaths or enraged people. What would it be this time?  
He took his phone and sent a message to Will. “I think I'm in danger. There might be someone in my office and this is not what I expected”   
Then he pushed the door and entered, closing behind him. He didn't bother being quiet. The intruder already knew he was there. He opened the door to his office and saw a well lit cube-shaped room made of plastic sheets surrounding his desk. An eyebrow quirked up and he caught a whiff of the man behind him. 

He could escape or kill him, but he was curious of the motive for all this paraphernalia and drama. So when he felt two strong arms around his neck and arm, and a sting to his neck, he tried to look like he was fighting. In the end, darkness surrounded him, but he was still aware of some things. His clothes were removed and he heard the muffled sound of his voice. He just relaxed until everything was clear again.

 

Dexter saw Dr. Hannibal Lecter stand there, before the door. He typed something and put it back into his pocket. Dexter moved back and hid, waited for the doctor to come inside, to look at what he'd set for him. The pictures he found at the TattleCrime website were already hanging on the plastic sheets, waiting for Lecter. It was going to be his disgrace. Dexter was an expert on that, on making these people feel ashamed of themselves. It was his duty.  
The moment Lecter came into the office, Dexter subdued him and pressed the needle into his neck. He knew Lecter was a Nephilim, so he adjusted the dose. He'd be heavily drugged.

First he laid him on the floor and removed his clothes. Dignity was not something his victims would get so easily. Then he lay him over the well covered table and started to wrap and hold him still. He would try to put up a fight, to try to escape. Nephilims were stronger than humans, and Dexter was only human, but the drug in the doctor's system would work for at least twenty minutes after he'd wake up.  
He opened his bag and took his knives. He stroked them and felt the cold steel on his fingertips. He felt like they were singing, asking for blood. He'd give them blood.

Doctor Lecter, unconscious on the table, inhaled deeply. Dexter, startled, grasped the knife and scowled at the body next to him.

“You shouldn't be awake already” he muttered. Lecter's nostrils flared again and the bastard smiled. His fist trembled in rage.

“Powerful drugs, not enough for me”

“You're only a Nephilim. I've dealt with them in the past. Recent past”

“I see. You should have double-checked me. Nephilim hybrid” he chuckled.

 

Dexter's frown deepened. Two Nephilims as parents. He didn't expect that. That made him look like an idiot. He leaned over Lecter's body and slapped his face, the other hand holding a large knife close to his cheek. Lecter opened his eyes. They were maroon, with dark red dots almost glowing. He looked confident, bored, and really angry. Dexter's instincts told him to back off, run and never looking back. He swallowed hard but remained in place.

“That doesn't matter now, does it? I have you in my table”

Lecter didn't say anything.

“You know why I'm here. You're the Chesapeake Ripper and the Monster of Florence”

Lecter quirked an eyebrow. He actually looked impressed.

“I'm sick of the newspaper talking about you. The people is terrified and they're innocent. What gives you the right to hunt, torture and eat them?”

That made him laugh. His teeth were dangerously close to his face. Dexter pulled back and turned around, pretending to be picking up knives and rummaging through his bag. He was sweating. 

“I know you're mated to that Agent Graham. I've been informed he's quite a rude guy and, following your work, I wonder why you haven't made a fancy dish out of him” he smirked. He heard the plastic wrap when Lecter moved. “He must give you something good to make you re-think your own habits. I get it, my wife didn't interest me when my voices were too loud...”

He sighed and turned around. His eyes were on him. He was not amused anymore and he could have killed him, Dexter knew, if it wasn't for the plastic wrap. He felt more secure now. 

“Do you really believe you could get away with all these killings? I've counted forty, including Florence. You kill because you're such an arrogant and proud psychopath you can't even control yourself. You eat them? You're disgusting. That's the lowest of crimes against humanity. What do you think, huh? You're going to get their strength, their memories? Are you also a delusional mess put there? You're going to die here. This ritual is not for you, you're not important. You're just another drop of blood in my collection and the world will be a better place without you. You're nothing and you'll be less than that once you're dead” his voice lowered and sounded more like growl. This usually made his victims go livid, beg and ask for mercy. Hannibal Lecter looked bored. That frustrated him and, out of anger, he cut his cheek. No response. Not a single flinch.

“What makes you think I've only killed forty people?” he asked, laughing deep in his throat. “I control myself pretty well, unlike yourself. You don't intimidate me. You make me laugh because you're like a kid acting like an adult. You have urges, like an animal: and even though you hide them under plastic sheets, rituals and pretty knives, you're still a regular, dull psychopath. Why do I kill? Because your smell offends me; because you've said the wrong word; because you play so badly my ears hurt; because the red spot in your eye disgusts me... Do you really know fear? You're not scaring me. Do you know fear? Fear me, for I am the closest to Satan you'll ever see. I've killed hundreds! I'm worse than God!”

Dexter couldn't react the moment those words ended, his mind a little light in a darkness so hurtful it made him sick. He'd seen bad things, mad people, but this... being, was from Hell. In that moment, when the knife hit the floor, he saw four huge, powerful dark wings under Lecter, breaking the plastic that held him down. He moved swiftly, the air around him electrified. He was knocked out with a wing and his last wish was to die before facing that monster again.

 

Hannibal turned around and found his clothes. He looked over the man lying on the floor and he almost growled.   
When he was dressed again, he lifted the body on the table and wrapped only his hands. He tore the plastic sheets and the pictures with them. He didn't need pictures to remember those killings. He kept them in his Mind Palace, ready for them whenever he felt like reliving those moments. 

He slapped the guy until he awoke. Then he froze and Hannibal kept a hand over his chest. That made him stop. He was as scared as angry. Hannibal smiled, eyes cold. 

“I understand the appeal of these knives” he said, holding one under the man's eye. “But the thing is... I could bite off your face in less than three seconds. Three very painful seconds, I might say. So, what is it? Bleeding out from the knife you wanted to use on me or eating you alive?”

The man under him gasped and Hannibal pressed the knife over his neck. A thin line of blood stained the blade and Hannibal’s nostrils flared again, catching the smell of blood and fear.

“What are you doing, Hannibal?”

Hannibal froze. What was Will doing here? The message he sent. Big mistake.  
He turned his head slowly, to Will's voice. He was frowning, mouth open and arms hanging at his sides. He had a gun in one hand.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” he repeated. 

Hannibal leaned back and straightened his back, the knife firmly pressed over the damaged skin. The man was breathing fast and the blood trickled down his neck to the plastic over the table. It pooled beautifully there but Hannibal had to look at Will.

“I won't repeat it again”

“Why don't you tell him?” the man asked, a wolfish smile on his face. He was scared to death but he had the guts to provoke him. “This is your mate, the angel that works for the FBI... Why don't you tell him you're the greatest fiasco of the Bureau?”

“What is he talking about, Hannibal?” he asked, confused. He looked around and he held up his arm, gun loaded. “What is all this?”

“It's nothing, Will, pull the gun down...”

“SHUT UP! What is all this? Who is he?”

“He's come to kill me”

“If you don't tell him why, I will...” he threatened. He pressed the knife and he hissed in pain. “I'm... Dexter Morgan... I hunt... killers like your mat-mate and-mmph”

“What do you mean?!” Hannibal could see a tear running down his cheek. He pointed the gun to Dexter now.

“He's th-the Chesapeake... mmph the Chesapeake Ripper!”

Hannibal felt cold all over his body. He didn't plan this. He didn't plan any of this. If he killed Morgan right now Will would shoot him and he would die or, worse, go to prison. His freedom was everything and if he had to free this man to keep it, he'd do it.

“Will, don't...”

“Is it true? Are... a-are you the Ripper?” Will asked softly, voice breaking. 

Instead of answering, Hannibal cut off the plastic wrap around Morgan's wrists and pushed him over the table. He landed on the floor with a heavy thump and then he was on his feet, clearly confused. Hannibal stared at him and held his gaze for ten long seconds.

“You know what I'm capable of. Don't you dare coming near me or my family or I'll destroy you”

Dexter was fuming, holding his neck with trembling hands. He almost ran past Will and left the office. Will was still holding his gun. The lights made his ethereal wings look almost white. Hannibal dropped the knife and held his arms up, then walked over him two steps before Will aimed at him. He stopped.

“Will, please, drop the gun. Let me explain-”

“Let you explain? Yes, you need to do that, because I feel like I'm crazy right now and I'm very scared. Holy shit! I came here for that fucking message wondering if there was a schizophrenic threatening you and your friend and I find a... serial killer hunter almost being slashed under your hand. What the hell?”

Hannibal saw he was trembling.

“Will you're confused and scared, but please try to calm down. Think of your health and the baby's”

“Fuck. YOU! Is that true? Are you-”

“Yes, Will. I am the Chesapeake Ripper”

 

His dreams were always forgotten by the time he awoke, and only traces of memories showed up during the day. The previous days before going to sleep determined his dreams and this dream was not like the others.  
He was in the forest, a hunting riffle on his hands. He was running, and it was dark but, miraculously, he didn't fall. There were all kind of sounds surrounding him, making him run. He was chasing something, or being chased. He didn't know but it was clear he'd die if he stopped. But his boots were stuck in the mud and he fell, the riffle lost. The mud was hot on his face and it smelled like blood. He brought up a hand and held it to the light of the moon. It was black but, unlike mud, it was so liquid it seemed... blood.  
Fearing the worst, he looked down, around him, and saw dead bodies, severed and beaten, with their cold eyes staring at him. All his body tensed but nothing came out of his mouth. He recognized them all. They were the Chesapeake Ripper's victims.

 

Hannibal lay Will down on his lounge and pulled the locks plastered on his face away. He hoped he and the baby were fine. He couldn't do anything else now so he made sure Will was comfortable and cleaned the office. He took the gun with him and threw the plastic sheets inside a box, then to the trashcan outside. When he came back he took a chair and placed it before Will, far enough for Will to not be scared when he woke up. He waited for thirty minutes until Will started to writhe and another minute until he woke up startled.  
When he looked around and then back at him, he searched for his gun but, not finding it, he just sat far from Hannibal and stared at him, a murderous look he recognized. He was hurt, too and that made him sad.

“You're safe with me”

“Bullshit”

“Don't be rude, please, I've killed for less than that” wrong. “I'm sorry, you're safe. I would never kill you”

“Because you love me” he said, mocking him. He couldn't show any emotion now so he set his jaw and waited for a minute to speak again.

“That's right. I love you. But I know you're hurt, confused and angry. You want to call the FBI and hand me over to Crawford”

“You'd kill me if I did it”

“You're wrong” he sighed and took his phone. He threw it next to Will. 

“What are you doing?”

“Call them. Tell them you've found the Chesapeake Ripper. I won't fight”

“I don't understand! Why?” he yelled, slamming his hand hard on the armrest.

“If I run, they'll eventually find me and I would kill them to escape. That would hurt you”

“Yeah, you thought so fondly of me while you were killing all this time. You killed someone I knew! Miriam Lass did nothing to you!”

“That's not fair. I regret killing her. She was innocent but she was too close to me and it was too late for anything else. Will, believe me, I'm a monster and you want to call the FBI. Just do it”

“I... what do you-? I still don't understand”

“For many years I've been using my skills to get rid of the people that made a hell of my life, starting with the men who killed and then ate my sister. I killed them all and used parts of their bodies to eat them. Not honoring them. They don't deserve that, never did. Will, I did it for revenge and now I do it because I don't know anything else. I don't regret it, I enjoy it. This is the monster you're mated to”

Will's eyes closed and he lowered his head. He cupped his face with his hands and shook his head.

“Call the FBI. I don't deserve to be with you and you don't deserve to live with the monster that I am. Do what's best for you and forget you've ever known me” he said, in such a low voice he wasn't sure Will heard. But Will's head popped up and his expression was unreadable.

“I knew there was something dark inside you but I didn't know it was so rotten” Will stood up and walked over the door. Before leaving, he stopped and, without looking back, he said: “I'm going home. You better don't show up until I tell you otherwise. I won't call the FBI until I've decided what to do with my life and yours”

Then, Hannibal was alone in the office until dawn. He felt like a hammer was punching his lungs every time he breathed. Alone, in the dark, his soul was lonely again. He didn't think, didn't move. His Mind Palace didn't allowed him entrance. It was his punishment for the monster he was.   
He cried until his eyes were red but didn't move.  
That day, he didn't hear the phone, the door or anything.

 

Will called Alana that morning and asked her if she could take Abigail with her for the day. She agreed and Abigail left, worried, with the psychiatrist. Will walked the dogs and fed them. He cleaned the house and ate pizza he made with the food he bought. He threw out of his house all the food Hannibal brought him. Then he vomited and gave the pizza to the dogs. By night, he was on his couch, wrapped in two blankets and the feeling of his wings around him, with a mug of hot chocolate. He told himself he had to feed the baby but couldn't move a finger. His stomach rumbled but he only sipped from his mug and cried, angry.   
Hannibal Lecter, his mate, the man he loved, was a monster. The Chesapeake Ripper. He was angry because he still loved him, but all his life he'd been fighting people like him. What could he do? Where all the other things go after this?  
Alana phoned him and said Abigail was going to stay that night with them. Will hummed and turned off the phone. He spent the night thinking, not going anywhere around his thoughts by morning. He was starving and made two sandwiches he engulfed. Then he stroked his belly and apologized.   
He carried the baby of a murderer, a cannibal and a monster. A monster he loved. He punched the wall and broke some bricks and one knuckle. It'll be fine by tomorrow, he said, cupping his hand.

He walked the dogs and fed them. Winston curled up beside him, Nana and Rex on his lap. The rest on the couch and floor. They took good care of him.  
Hours later he recognized he wouldn't call the FBI, decision made the moment Hannibal threw his phone and told him to do so. He loved the man, loved the dark part of the soul he saw and felt. Loved the baby he carried. Loved the companionship and blind trust for his mate. He felt betrayed and sorry, angry and scared. But deep down he knew Hannibal would never hurt them.  
Then he realized the family they were already. Three broken things and a little innocent soul coming. They would never survive alone. He left Hannibal alone, pushed Abigail away and locked himself up on his head.   
He wanted his family. He wanted to fix this. He was betraying his own principles just by loving Hannibal Lecter, the Chesapeake Ripper. He shuddered and ate another sandwich. 

By night, he phoned the office five times, then Hannibal’s house. He sent a message. “Come home. We need to talk about this mess”

Alana and Abigail showed up and he didn't have the heart to tell them to go away. Then he slapped himself mentally for thinking that. He loved Abigail and was thinking of pushing her away again. Idiot.

He made dinner while the dogs walked themselves out. Soup and fish. No meat. He couldn't think about it.

“Did I do something wrong?” Abigail asked, holding her spoon, looking down at the soup.

“What?”

“You discarded me. It felt like it, you know? I thought you didn't want to be... family. I couldn't even touch the bond and when I tried it hurt so much...” he realized she was crying quietly. His heart sank.

“My problem was Hannibal and I paid it with you. I'm a fucking bastard for that, and I'm sorry. Will   
you forgive me?”

He stood up and touched her head, she threw her arms around his waist and nodded. He caressed her hair and she let him go. She wiped her tears and started to eat.

“Did you two fight?”

“Something like that”

“I don't like secrets” she stated. Her voice hardened and Will looked up, surprised. “Secrets made my mother die and my father go crazy. They left me alone. I don't want to be alone again”

“It's okay. When we fix this, we'll tell you. I promise”

“Thank you”

“I cleaned a room for you. The bed is old, but, for now, it's the best I have”

The doorbell rang.

 

Hannibal left the office the next morning and went home. It seemed too big, too cold. He took a shower and changed his clothes. Then he ate something, but felt repelled of himself for the first time in his life. He would never change and his fate was loneliness or prison. The more thought about both destinies the more he wanted to end his life. A life without his family was nothing and nothing was better than being caged.  
He didn't expect to receive a message from Will that same night, only two days later. “Come home. We need to talk about this mess”  
It didn't sound especially hopeful, but neither like it was a mortal trap. He cleaned the kitchen and drove for almost two hours. He was so nervous he had to stay on his seat for ten minutes before going out. It stopped snowing almost thirty minutes ago and the snow was soft. He reached the door and found it open. There was blood on the floor.

Will was in the couch with blood on his shirt. There were purple marks on his face and Abigail was pressing bandages to his cheek. She looked at him and gasped.

“Thank Heaven it's you! Will!”

Will looked at him. He had a fractured cheekbone but couldn't find any other injury. He ran and knelt in front of him, holding his hands. There was a knife on the floor. Stainless steel.

“Dexter Morgan's been here” Will confirmed. Abigail looked away and took all the bloodied bandages to the trashcan. “I told her everything. You have a lot to explain, now”

Not his family, he said. Not them....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's such a short chapter but I had to think a lot on this one. Any comments?


	17. Chapter 17

Dexter was at the hotel room, cleaning the wound of his neck, furious. He'd been defeated and forgiven only to manipulate another innocent victim. This wasn't over. He'd send a message very clear.   
He checked Harrison was fine and Wendy Hershel told him to relax and sleep for his “interview” for the next day. So he spent the night thinking a good plan and nothing came of it. He was still so enraged that the Code didn't help and his voices only made it worst. 

He took pills to help him sleep and told hung a sign outside of not being disturbed. 

Dexter wore a scarf all day and picked Harrison up by noon. They spent the rest of the day at some park, throwing snowballs and playing. He'd imagined a hundred ways to kill Lecter by dinner time. The next day was pretty much the same but asked Wendy to take care of Harrison before dinner until midnight. She agreed. 

Dexter stopped at some restaurant and spent an hour and a half there, thinking, having a nice dinner and preparing himself. He wouldn't like to hurt the family, unless they were too difficult. There was the Hobbs girl, who could harm him badly and the Special Agent Will Graham. All of them were potential killers if they were trapped. He didn't know what happened to them after he left, if they were like a big murder family, all blood business, or if their bond was starting to die.  
He honestly didn't care. He wanted Lecter on his table. He'd be there, sooner or later.

Later that night, he stalked the house, pretty much unprotected, and opened the door to the kitchen. He'd tried to talk to them and the Hobbs girl punched him in the face while Graham went to grab the phone. He kicked Hobbs' ribs with his elbow and left her on the floor. Dexter grabbed Graham by the hair and the angel landed on his backside. Then the knife he had under his coat was on the girl's hands and told him to back off. He raised his hands and walked back a few steps, but then kicked her behind the knees and the knife was his for a few seconds. Graham inserted penetrated his thigh and made him struggle for two exhausting minutes until he punched the angel and smashed a jar into his face. He left them like that, the Hobbs girl assisting her father. He pulled out the knife but it was too slippery so he dropped it. All the while, the dogs kept barking but were too afraid of him to come closer.  
It was starting to snow when he got in the car.

It was clear he couldn't deal with an Angel and two Nephilims. What to do next was imperative. 

 

Hannibal finished his dinner and went to see if Abigail or Will needed something. They were on Will's bedroom, her wings wrapping them both up, keeping them warm. They were asleep. More than tired, Hannibal knew they were on the limit of their strength. A man showed up and, after asking him to leave, he'd turned violent after Abigail hit him. Dexter Morgan dared to fight his pregnant mate and his teenage daughter.  
He wouldn't be alive for much longer.

Will's wounds weren't serious, but Abigail needed rest. He was tired of her being in Hospitals, so he brought medical supplies he still owned and did his best. She was sedated and healing. This couldn't go on. He wanted her to fight and get alive every time a crazy bastard appears in their lives. First of all, she'd carry a taser gun in her pocket or purse whenever she'd go out. He owned a couple of them.  
Will was still upset with him, understandable, but he let him stay, so it was good.

Hannibal cleaned the dishes, opened the door for the dogs to come out, and cleaned the blood off the floor. He wanted Morgan and he would get him.

 

One hour later, late in the night, when he was reading a book, he felt a tug in the bond. Will was awake. He waited for him to come out and saw his legs. He looked up. Will was barefoot, in his pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. His wings, ethereal until after labor, were folded. He looked calmed but still upset. He sat beside him on the couch.  
Hannibal turned to him and waited. It was agony, not knowing what was happening inside his head. The bond didn't answer any of this and he was dying to know anything. 

“Please, Hannibal, just tell me if I can be safe around you. If any of us” he pointed his head to the bedroom but placed a hand over his belly. “If any of us is safe”

Will looked down at his hands.

“The only reason I live is you”

“That's very poor, Hannibal” he was shaking his head.

“I've killed in the past, and after meeting you. I still do. It's all I know since I was eight and I still think I was born like this. But I'll never hurt any of you”

“You're a psychopath, you know you can't love. You want, but you can't actually love” his voice was tense and his hands were grasping his bottoms.

“I'm not a psychopath. I'm a monster, but not a psychopath, Will. A bond can't be formed without love, you know that”

Will sighed and leaned back, looking at the ceiling. Winston licked his toes. 

“I don't understand why I didn't feel anything... when the bond...”

“It's meant to be a part of me, not something to be shared, Will” he tried to explained. Being like he was it just... was. “We are who we are, nothing less, nothing more”

“Yeah, it just happens that my mate is a cannibal” he snorted, then he frowned and looked at him. “You've been feeding me... people”

“I... have” he admitted. It was not the time for more lies. As much as it hurt him to see Will acting like this, it was all his own fault. This was the way he was born and Will did not deserve it. Hannibal stared at his hands, not facing the look Will gave him.

“Don't you ever dare to do it again” he heard Will saying. His voice was pure ice.

Hannibal looked up and nodded. 

“I mean it. We're having-... I'm having this baby. God knows what will it do to him or her”

“I promise”

“Fine” they stared at each other for a minute, expressionless. “Tell me how it happened”

“Why I am what I am?” he waited until Will nodded, then he squirmed in his seat. “When the war at that time was upon us, our parents took us to a lodge in the woods to keep us safe. But it was a long war and our parents were murdered, all our valets ran and Mischa... I almost lost her there. A few months alone and we thought we were going to die. We were starving. Then some men came. They kept us there through the winter. We're Nephilims so we don't really feel the cold, but there humans did and they burnt everything to keep themselves warm. We were thrown into the barn. They didn't eat Cesar, our horse, even though they were starving, too. There was a little boy with us. One day later they took him and we never saw him again. A week later they took my sister. I fought but a kid, even a Nephilim kid, is nothing against men. It took me a decade to remember the rest. They made soup out of the bones of my sister and cooked her meat, all in her copper bathtub. I... ate my sister, too. I think a part of me died with her and whatever was born instead... is me”

“What.. mmh” Will cleared his throat. “What happened with those men?”

“I killed them, of course. That's when I started to cook, too”

“Okay...” Will rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “I fucking work for the FBI and my mate is a serial killer and a cannibal”

“I am so sorry, Will”

“What... have you ever done more than to assist us in the FBI?”

“I...”

“Think about it very carefully, Hannibal” Will's blue eyes almost sparkled. He was so angry.

“I'm the copycat and, as you already know Il Monstro di Firenze and the Chesapeake Ripper”

“Fuck my life... I'm living with a mass murderer”

Before Will could say anything else, he doubled in half, hand on his belly. Eyes shut and grunting, he reached out with his hand to find his. Hannibal grasped it. Will's hand was sweaty.   
Hannibal stood up and knelt in front of him, caressing his back. What Will was feeling was the life that was growing inside him. It was a baby. It had a brain and a soul. And that little, scared, new soul was attaching itself to Will's own. The bond was there, while Will could finally stand up and take Hannibal in for a hug.

“The baby...” Will was whispering. Hannibal smiled into Will's neck while his mate grabbed his shirt and pressed is body into him. He wanted Hannibal to feel the bond. He still couldn't but felt it would be soon.

“I know, I know”

“I still don't know what to do with you. Oh, and you're sleeping on the couch tonight”

 

Alana, an Alpha female Angel, was used to be stared at by humans. They still did not fully understand her biology. It wasn't serious, but people just didn't know how it worked for a woman to get pregnant... by another woman. Omega men were different, too, than the average human male, but it just... was understandable for them.   
She was thinking about this because she said to her boss, a human male, that her mate was close to her Heat and she needed a week off. He laughed at her and asked why even bother to ask how. She just sat there, fuming. It was nobody's business, but she managed to stay calm and not commit murder. This time. 

An hour before going out of work, she received a call. It was Abigail and she needed to talk. Alana sighed and drove to Will's house. The dogs were outside with Abigail. She had a dozen toys around her feet.

“Hey”

“Hi, Dr. Bloom. Do you want a cup of tea?”

“Sure, thank you, Abigail” 

They went in, where it was warm. The dogs followed them. The TV was on mute, some movie playing, and the lights of the kitchen were on, but otherwise, no one seemed to be at home.

“Where is everybody?” she asked as she was sitting on the couch.

“Hannibal had to see a patient and Will went into the forest a while ago”

Alana frowned. Will shouldn't be unattended while pregnant. Anything could happen.

“Is... everything okay?”

Abigail brought a tray with tea and placed it on the table, she handed a cup to Alana and she smelled it. This was Hannibal’s tea. Abigail grimaced at the question and quirked an eyebrow, then sat at her side.

“Well... I know they've had an argument. Will wouldn't talk to him for two days then...” Abigail lost track of her thoughts and her hands trembled. She was about to ask when her face changed. “Well, then they fought again, I couldn't really know what was all about because I've been with you”

“That was what happened the other day?”

Abigail had slept at their house for two days, but she didn't tell her anything about it all. It wasn't her business but she needed to know everything was alright. What happened between Hannibal and Will was their business but Abigail was visibly affected, somehow.

Abigail nodded.

“The bond felt tight but it's okay now” she sighed and relaxed. “Will felt the baby yesterday”

“That's wonderful!” she exclaimed. Will needed this, some happiness to forget all the horrors of Hobbs and Dale in his life.

“Yeah... and Hannibal slept here last night. I mean, in the couch”

“You don't need to-”

“No, no, it's fine. It's just... it didn't feel like a punishment” she grinned and sipped at her tea. “Will is too proud. Whatever Hannibal did or said, it's kind of... forgotten. Or at least accepted and it's a past thing. I don't think Will is all that angry. He just needs to get his head around something and... well, what would I know?” she scoffed and looked down. 

“Hey... don't” Alana lifted her chin with two fingers and made Abigail look at her. “You're very smart, and I know what you've seen it's close to the truth. If they don't want to tell you, it's because you've been through a lot of bad things and they want you as innocent as possible. Let them take care of you”

“Who's going to take care of them, then?”

They both laughed and Alana nodded.

For the next thirty minutes, they talked about Dale and her experience. Her fears when she was with him and what she thought during those days. Alana was surprised to find she was very calm and practical... again. That lead her to what Beverly thought about her killing with her father or, at least, being an accomplice. She couldn't ask yet. Abigail needed to trust in her even more.

“I really want to call them dad, or something. It feels weird and cold going with Hannibal and Will” she changed the subject suddenly. She used to do that.

“Then do it. Or ask them if it's okay. They won't laugh, it's comprehensible; they're your fathers now”

“Yes. I should do that...”

“Well, it's past our time now... Abigail, call me when you need to talk, okay?”

 

One hour after Alana left, Abigail was still alone. It started to rain and the snow melted. She was worried Will fell somewhere and couldn't stand up. She phoned Hannibal, who was already on his way.  
The wood floor creaked under her foot when she went to open the door. She looked down and saw blood between the planks and remembered the man that came last night. Her sides still hurt.  
She would ask them who was that man and what he wanted of them. He started to talk about Hannibal but then everything escalated to blood and fear. She was getting used to it and she didn't enjoy it...

Abigail couldn't tell about it to Alana. It was a secret too dangerous. Alana's mate was Beverly Katz and sure she would tell her anything suspicious. She had to measure her words every session.

She heard a car parking outside and recognized it. Finally, Hannibal was here. Abigail opened the door and hugged him, his arms around her, careful of her wings. They were still too sensitive. 

“Is Will here?” he asked.

“No, he's still out there... I'm worried... What if-?”

“Shh... it's okay. I'll find him, I'll go out and take Winston with me, okay?”

They were closing the door when they heard footsteps over the sound of the rain. They turned around and there was Will, all wet and with mud on his boots and trousers. He had something heavy under his parka.

“Will!” Hannibal yelled, and ran to him.

Abigail waited for them and then closed the door behind her. She wanted to ask Will is he was okay but the smile on his face confirmed it. She was confused.

“Will?” she asked.

“I'm okay, guys, I'm... fine”

Hannibal was taking off his coat and jacket and started to unzip Will's parka. Then they saw the mysterious form under it and she laughed. Hannibal just stared at Will.  
Will was cradling a very pregnant black cat. Her yellow eyes were on Hannibal’s hand and didn't relax until he backed off.

“What is it?”

“What do you think it is? It's a pregnant cat, Hannibal, don't you see?” Will let her down on the couch and the dogs were over her, sniffing around and trying to lick the cat. She hissed and they stood obediently a few feet away from her.   
Will took off his boots on the kitchen and told them he was going to take a shower. 

“Keep an eye on her! And, Abigail, give her some water!” 

Abigail filler a bowl and brought it near the cat. She drank for a minute then lost all interest in everything else and started to groom her paws.

“Can you believe this?” she asked.

“This is a zoo” Hannibal mumbled, taking the dirty boots outside.

 

Once everything was clean, they sat in the kitchen and Hannibal began with dinner. She loved watching him cook. He talked about an Italian chef he'd met in Florence a few years ago and how she sang every time she stepped in the kitchen. She used to sing country music in a very bad English.

Will came out clean and went right to the fridge and poured tuna on a small plate he took to the cat. He didn't talk to them at all. Abigail shrugged and accepted animals received all the love and it would be like that forever. She already loved them all.

“Will? The cat is more than fine by now, would you join us?” Hannibal asked, a pan in hand “Abigail needs to know some... things”

Will hesitated and nodded, then sat by Abigail's side. Her nightmares had just began.

 

Hannibal wanted to take Will to their room and yell at him; tell him it was so reckless to go out alone, in the rain and unarmed with another psychopath after their family. It was just stupid and he was very angry. But Abigail was in the middle and she did not need to listen another argument.   
What she needed was the truth, because the risk to know what Hannibal was by another person was too high and he didn't want that... again.  
Now the three of them sat around the kitchen table. Hannibal smelled the fruit on the bowl, he smelled the dogs and Will's hair. And he was nervous, and afraid of Abigail's reaction. But they had to face it.

“What is it, guys?” she asked, looking at them. “Is it about that man?”

Hannibal nodded but when he was going to explain who he was, Will lifted his hand. Hannibal kept quiet and looked down.

“Hannibal has a past, not very different from your father's own past. That man was hunting him for what he's done” Will stated, bitterly. That hurt him. He was disgusted, too.

“What-uhmm what do you mean?”

“I kill people, Abigail. I've been killing for centuries. That man, Dexter Morgan, is a psychopath that hunts killers”

“He was hunting you” she whispered. She pressed the palm of her hand to her mouth and stared at him.

Hannibal saw the betrayal in her eyes, the fear to live with another monster like her father. Worse than that, Hannibal was as much as her father in another thing... they were both cannibals.

“There's another thing...” he said “I helped Will with the Minnesota Shrike by leading him to your home. It was me. I am the copycat and I've killed even more people than your father”

“Oh, God... no” she stood up and pressed the heel of her hands against her temples.

“Abigail, I don't want to hurt you or Will...”

“You've... I told you secrets! And you are a liar! You knew this?” she inquired Will.

“Recently, yes... Abigail... calm down. I'm angry, too, and I feel betrayed. But please, think. He's not going to hurt us, I know that”

 

It was hard to convince her, to make her see she wasn't in danger. Will told her what happened since the message Hannibal received to that last night, and she more or less relaxed. She needed time, she said and took a long coat and an umbrella. She headed to the door but Hannibal called her and she stopped, hand on the doorknob. She didn't want to meet his eyes.

“Take this with you” he said, a hand in his pocket. He stood up and handed her a taser gun. “He's still out there and I don't want you get hurt. He's going to pay for what he did to you two. No more risks, though”

She nodded and left

Hannibal couldn't move. What if Abigail met Morgan and he decided he wanted to use her against him? Then that would be the last time he used his hands. Oh he had plans for Mr. Morgan, but it was up to him if it was going to be long and with agony or short with agony, too. He very much preferred the first option.  
A pair of hands were on his waist, and then Will's body was pressed to his back. His head rested over his shoulder and he leaned into the warmth. He'd missed it.

“Are you really going to kill him?” Will asked.

“He hurt you” he answered, as a matter of fact.

“But we're all fine, after all”

“Will, he could have made you lose the baby, killed you or Abigail. That's more than enough to provoke me”

Will didn't say anything but lowered his hand and stopped at the belt. “Will?”

“It's pretty clear you're not going to hurt me, so you better make it up to me” Will whispered, nibbling Hannibal’s ear.

Hannibal took Will's hand and lead him before him. He pushed Will against the door and saw his eyes full of lust, face hot and breathing hard. Hannibal stepped closer and leaned in for a kiss. He devoured his mouth while stripping him off. He felt Will's hand stroking him through his pants and he moaned. Will bit his lip and he hissed, pressing hard with his thigh against his crotch. Will moaned, banged his head on the door and bared his neck. Hannibal kissed and sucked until Will begged to be fucked.   
Will took off his pants and hooked his legs around Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal lifted him up and against the door and probed two fingers in. He was already wet, but tight.

“I want it hard” Will panted, arms around his mate's neck, embracing himself.

If Abigail came back, she'd find the door blocked. Hannibal didn't want that again, so he hurried and lowered Will down on his cock. Slowly, Will adapted and became restless. Backside, shoulders and head against the door, he had some freedom to move his hips and urged Hannibal to move.  
Suddenly, the older man realized Will's ethereal wings went through the door and anyone could see it.  
Hannibal shrugged and focused all his senses on the heat around him, the bond tugging in his chest and Will's eager mouth on him. So he pounded as hard as he could into Will, swallowing pleas and moans, tasting blood and biting flesh until Will screamed and came. He clenched hard around him and he came within seconds.  
Hannibal lowered Will's legs, both still too tired to do anything else and leaned in each other arms until Will complained on the trickle of semen running down leg. Hannibal was heading to the kitchen for a wet cloth when he thought it better and turned Will around. Will gasped but didn't move. He had his mate facing the door and separated his legs. Then he lowered himself slowly, tasting Will's skin from neck to lower back. When he was on his knees, he pulled apart Will's cheeks and licked his own seed. Will moaned and pulled back to get more friction. With his thumb, he collected what was slipping down his thigh. Will was hard again and he tasted his lubrication. Hannibal pulled back and two fingers entered back in. Will yelped and whined, nails scratching the door.

“Does it turn you on, Will?” he asked. “Does it make you hard to be at my mercy? I could do anything to you, yet you submit so easily to a man who's killed without regret”

“Oh fuck... shut-”

Hannibal reached around and stroked him. Will moaned and his wings stretched, and Hannibal could swear he saw them trembling.

“Turn around” he ordered. And Will, in shaky feet, complied.

Hannibal looked up and saw how flushed and aroused he was. Eyelids almost shut, pupils blown wide and mouth open. He was begging with his eyes to be fucked again.  
Hannibal’s wings appeared, slowly stretching and covering Will's form. Will loved the smell and sight of them and, using advantage of his distraction, he pulled two fingers back in and sucked on the tip of Will's cock, already wet and dripping more. Will cried out and banged his head again. Hannibal pulled one leg over his shoulder and swallowed Will down to the base, fingers coming in and out, fast, aiming to his prostate. Will came and Hannibal swallowed it all, not a single drop out when he pulled back. There was a clean, clear liquid coating his fingers down to his wrist. He pulled out and licked at it, making sure Will was watching. It tasted just like it smelled. Close to Will in Heat.

“Oh God... I-”

“I'm not done with you” Hannibal interrupted.

He stood up and sat down on the couch, on the far end so the pregnant cat wouldn't be disturbed. He was still hard and looked back at Will.

“Come here and sit on my lap”

Will half grunted and walked on wobbly legs. Naked, tired, and very well fucked was Hannibal’s favorite sight of his mate so far. The smell was almost intoxicating.   
Will straddled his legs and positioned himself over him, never leaving his eyes. Then he lowered himself down, flinching. He was so sensitive now.

“What are you waiting for? Make me come” Hannibal ordered, and Will's head cocked to the side. He frowned and began to move, groaning two minutes later.

Hannibal stared at his strained muscles, barely holding him upright. His legs were already failing him and he had to lean into him to keep himself up. He threw his arms over his shoulders and began to rock back and forth until Hannibal felt pity and grabbed his hips and started to thrust up until he came inside his mate. The moment Will slumped down over him and sighed, Hannibal hugged him by his midriff and caressing his back until he calmed down and pulled out.

“Stay. I'll go clean this mess” Hannibal said, and cleaned himself and the door. He threw his clothes to Will and put on his own.

A few minutes later, Hannibal was back on the couch and shook him gently.

“You fell asleep”

“Mmm” he groaned.

“Thanks for this, Will”

“You're thanking me for having sex?” Will asked, amused.

“For accepting me as I am. I don't even accept myself in other form than a monster. Yet you still treat me like your mate”

Will sighed and took his hand, squeezing it. He loved Will's hands on him.

“I couldn't care less that you're a monster. The man I fell in love with had a secret so terrible I accepted even if I didn't know it. I felt your soul and that darkness was there, always. I have accepted you, as you are, because I loved your soul first. It's... shocking and I'm still getting used to the idea of you being a... cannibal, serial killer and God knows what. Believe me, I'm really confused because I've been thinking like psychopaths for years to catch them and you weren't in the radar. Not once. It's confusing”

Hannibal just nodded and began to apologize when Abigail opened the door and stopped in her tracks, frowning and wrinkling her nose.

“You should open a window after having sex, you know? That way you'd stop traumatizing your already traumatized daughter” she said, completely serious.

Neither of them could think of an answer.

 

One week later...

Freddie Lounds drank her coffee and started typing again, nodding. It was their second meeting and the teenage Angel was still scared and wary of everything around her.  
Freddie patted her hand and handed her a piece of paper.

“He's moved here, but he's leaving next Monday”

“That's in two days!” she exclaimed.

“You better hurry. But you shouldn't go alone”

“I'll be okay”

“Abigail, you don't have to be a hero”

“He threatened us!” she hissed.

Freddie nodded. “And you should tell me that story, because it seems fascinating”

“I... can't”

“Maybe I'll find out someday. Remember, Abigail... I've been watching this Dexter Morgan for weeks. I don't like him, be careful”

“I know”

“Good luck, child”

Then Abigail left, retracting her wings and stepping into the cold air. It was raining. Freddie ordered another coffee and phoned Wendy. She was still with Harrison Morgan, Dexter's son. She'll be home in two hours.

She typed some more in her laptop and saved the document. She'll find out, someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very sorry for the delay.
> 
> Any theories?
> 
> Oh, and I'm sorry for the lack of baby here. I promise next chapter will be more emotional.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana's concern, Will's new sickness, Abigail taking care of business...

“It's been a week since Abigail called”

Alana wrote in her Ipad. She tapped her fingers on the edge of the table and sighed, stretching her wings. She was tense and tired of work. She'd had to deal with an emergency case at work: two Alpha angels (a woman and a man) had fought, literally, over an Omega Nephilim, both claiming a bond. She'd had to explain there were multiple bonds and one of them was a Trinity bond, as was called in her field. It meant any Angel could conceive a triple bond. They were meant to be together, or else, the three of them would fall in a depression. 

Alana was exhausted and she knew Bev was right. She needed rest but Abigail had been absent for a week and she'd only talked to Will once, three days ago. He said she was okay, busy. Busy with what? He just shrugged and went back to class, wings flapping.  
She told Bev but she just massaged her shoulders and stated she was a genius and she would figure it all out eventually.   
Abigail was hiding something. Whether it was something criminal or embarrassing, she could not tell, so there was no decision to be made until the girl talked to her. She wasn't going to tell the FBI, not even Bev. Not unless she planned on hurting someone. Which she doubted. 

Alana shook her head, took off her clothes and went to bed next to her very warm demon. 

 

Next day, and Beverly was alone in bed. She didn't feel Alana in the house, and her smell was off. Beverly took a long shower and went to work. She went straight to Crawford's office. He smiled and asked her if she wanted coffee. Black, no sugar. 

“What is it? Everything okay?”

“Yeah it's just... it keeps bothering me the Hobbs case”

“Which is already filed and closed” he stated.

“But not forgotten” she remarked with a knowing smile he returned.

“What's new?”

“I feel like shit for spying on Alana's notes, but... well, apparently Abigail hasn't called for a week and she's beginning to worry. Will was no help at all, and Hannibal is busy, too”

“But there must be something...” he muttered.

“Those tickets, those records are still there. She was in that University with her father and that's a fact. There were murderers at that time, that's another fact... but Abigail...”

“I'm convinced she knows something”

“Maybe she's still afraid, or embarrassed, to tell” she reasoned, sipping at her mug.

“Only she knows” he quirked an eyebrow. “How about the cabin?”

“Where Hobbs butchered the girls? I don't know... maybe taking her back there is too cruel...”

“It doesn't matter if she knows something”

“Are we doing the right thing, Jack?” she sighed and looked at him. The timed when he flinched for her eyes were long gone. She found respect and she relaxed. “I mean... ”

“I know what you mean. But here's the thing” he leaned over the desk, fingers intertwined “...if she's guilty, or she knows something juicy, all this nightmare will be gone. Forever. Do you understand?”

“Yeah...”

“Good”

 

Hannibal’s eyes opened slowly. The light was dim, and he could see through the dark curtains the heavy snowflakes falling. He felt Will's weight on his side, his curls tickling his shoulder and chest. Will had his arm thrown over his waist and torso and he'd fallen asleep like that, hours ago. He was starting to sleep more and he'd end up sleeping like an average human until after delivery.   
Hannibal stretched, carefully, and caressed Will's back. His mate hummed and went silent.

He smiled and sighed. He still had his mate, days after knowing his true nature. His dark soul and darker mind. And still, he was by his side.  
He looked over Will's head and groaned at the clock. He had to wake Will up. His fingers tangled in Will's curls and stayed there.

Will was so tired. It had been an awful week. He'd had to prepare three different tests for two classes, grade them, and give two lectures on psychopathy and sociopathy. He'd already told Will to take it easy, to rest and to go at his own pace. He mumbled, every time, it was work, and then he'd submerged on his papers for the rest of the evening and part of the night. He barely tasted his food and enough was enough.  
Last night he was so mad he told him to eat, that he had a baby and he had to take care of it.

“Like you needed to remind me” he hissed, and took his papers to their bedroom, Winston behind.

They ended making a lot of noise and Will fell asleep right after his climax. He did not have the heart to wake him up to keep grading dull exams.   
Will groaned and turned, flat on his back. He was shirtless, and Hannibal could appreciate all his bite marks under his collarbones and bruises on his hips. He was beautiful, and there were few things in Hannibal’s life worth being called beautiful. His belongings didn't count. Will was the most beautiful thing that brightened his dark life. 

Hannibal leaned on his side and touched Will's lips, lightly. They were pink, swollen and ready to be devoured again. His hand traveled down and Will stirred. He'd memorized Will's body in the past and there was something... different. He looked down and then he saw it. It took his breath away.

Will's baby bump.

A broad smile was on his face the moment he remembered how to breath. It was the slightest curve, yet it still was protuberant; hard, when he pressed down lightly. He spread his fingers over Will's belly and grazed his fingertips over it back and forth, until Will's hand stopped him.

“What are you doing?” he mumbled.

“You're showing” Hannibal said.

“What?”

Will incorporated, eyes half closed, dragging his ethereal wings from under the bed, and stared down at his belly.

“Are you sure?”

“Maybe you don't see it, not yet. But I do, and I felt it”

Will looked back at him, frowning. 

“Did you feel the baby?”

Hannibal smiled and shook his head. “Just a very small baby bump. You should eat more”

Will rolled his eyes and let himself fall back on the bed. “Two months pregnant and you're already overprotective”

“Don't complain, I just want you to be healthy. Do you think we should see a doctor?”

“A human doctor?”

“Or Angel. Someone who understands your biology. And mine”

“Who do you suggest?” 

Hannibal looked down and took a minute to answer. He lost himself in Will's eyes. His lips, his curls...

“Dr. Neal Decroix. He's an old friend of mine. He has a private clinic, two hours from here”

“I don't like doctors... I feel good, I just need some rest. Which I'll get the moment these tests are graded and handed to my students” he explained and was about to stand up when Hannibal took his wrist and pulled him in for a kiss.

He felt Will's smile against his lips. Hannibal couldn't resist it and rested a hand on Will's belly. The second his hand touched his mate's skin, he felt an invisible hook attaching itself on his chest. It made him hunch over, gasping. All his muscles were tense and he felt like a wounded animal. Like there was danger close.

It was over when Will touched his back and soon he started to hear, see, smell and feel around him. He touched his chest and couldn't believe there was nothing there.

Well, not exactly...

“What... was that?” Will asked. Hannibal looked up an saw how scared Will was.

Hannibal reassured his mate patting his hand, smiling.

“Our baby has just formed a bond with me” he answered, amazed. 

Will laughed and threw himself on him. What was an innocent gesture soon turned into a heated embrace. Hannibal flipped them over and pressed Will against the mattress, hardness digging into Will's thigh. He waited for Will's nod and lunged forward to ravish his mouth. He tasted Will, swallowed his moaning and gripped tight his hips, while his eager mate grasped and tugged at his hair.  
Will wiggled to get off his pajama bottoms, spreading his legs and thrusting his hips up to meet Hannibal’s. Will gasped and bared his neck, for Hannibal to enjoy. He licked and nibbled at his tender skin, while Will's furtive hand got between their bodies to take Hannibal in his hand. He responded by biting down on his neck, for everyone to see.

Will's hand pulled and pumped him until Hannibal groaned and, suddenly, the hand was gone.

“Inside...” Will's said, in a shaky voice that made Hannibal growl.

Hannibal slid into him, hard, making Will's head loll back, mouth open in a silent cry. Will's body stretched out, filled... his mate purred when Hannibal rotated his hips and pulled at his hair. Hannibal licked into his mouth, bit his lips, claimed him while he thrust hard over and over, fast, until Will came, holding his waist between his legs. Hannibal moved his hips in a rocking motion, painfully slow. He knew Will was sore, and his little twitching, clenching and unclench inside him, was maddening. He came after two hard thrusts that had Will boneless and overstimulated. 

After that, Will was late to work, and every trainee with a decent sense of smell knew why. Also, there was a purple circle over the edge of his shirt that couldn't be missed.

 

Will was oblivious to everyone staring at him and went as usual and finished his last thirty minutes of class. He received a message from Abigail when his second period was about to start.  
“I'll be back tonight. See you, guys”

She'd been acting weird that past week. Well, weird was not the word. Weird was finding out you new parent is a serial killer, and cannibal, just like your former daddy. That was fucked up. She just needed time to cope with the news.

Lunch was awkward, to say the least. Zeller received a kick under the table from Beverly and Price almost spattered his drink through his nose. Will blushed but stared at his tasteless meal like it was its fault. He felt all food like sand. Tasteless, disgusting. But he was hungry and had to eat something or Hannibal would take him to a doctor. So he picked up the fork and swallowed making faces the whole time. None of them said a word about it.  
Two periods more and he was eager to go home. The cat he rescued was about to give birth her kittens and he wanted to be there.  
He wasn't a cat person, but he liked them anyways. The moment he stepped inside, all his four-legged – and one three-legged– friends barked and whined for attention. He knelt on the floor and hugged and kissed them all. He let the door open for them to roam free for a while until he finished cooking. He was starving.

Will was placing the fish on a plate when he violently retched. The plate fell on the floor and he hurried to the bathroom and threw up for minutes. He felt dizzy and tired and found the edge of the bathtub like the perfect place for a nap.  
Winston's tongue on his nose woke him up and he brushed his teeth.  
Was he sick? Angels didn't have morning sickness. They just don't.

He shrugged it off and cleaned the mess he made on the floor. The fish was gone, though, so he just had to clean an oily stain. He was still hungry. He opted for a sandwich and was able to keep it down. For ten minutes.

Hungry. Desperate. Fulfilled. Sick. Repeat.

 

By the time Hannibal was home, it was already dark and he'd eaten almost everything that was in the kitchen. He was sitting in the middle of the kitchen, arms around his knees, surrounded of empty boxes and plastic bags. There was a hunger gnawing at his insides that had increased ever since the sandwich. That was three hours ago. 

“I'm sorry I'm la-” Hannibal stopped mid-sentence when he saw Will's miserable form in the floor. His eyes were red and puffed from crying. He looked... hysterical. 

He had bags under his eyes, but his eyes seemed to be somewhere else. They were fixed in some point behind Hannibal. Low and wide open. 

“Will?” he let his coat on the couch and crouched in front of Will. 

Hannibal cautiously cupped his cheek but Will didn't seem to notice. He was hot. Fever hot. There was no sign of sweating, no blush... he was just absent. But sick.

“Will, what happened?”

“I can't eat” he croaked. 

“What do you mean? You're not hungry?”

Will shook his head, trembling. “I'm starving”

Hannibal waited for an explanation but instead turned around and stared at the mess on the floor. 

“What happened here?” 

“I've tried to eat, I swear to God, I've tried but I throw it all up”

“Why?”

“I don't know” he cried and held his face between his hands. He started to cry. “I don't know. I don't know. I don't know...”

Hannibal was confused but held Will against his chest, trying to calm him down. He could clearly feel Will's distress through the bond, his rage, confusion and sadness.

“I'm going to call Abigail and tell her we're going out. Then we're going to see doctor Decroix and he'll fix this. I'm so sorry, Will”

Will nodded and Hannibal started to clean. When everything was on the trash he called Abigail and told her they were going to see a friend and stay there for dinner. Hannibal helped Will to get to the car.  
Will fell into a dreadful silence; he wouldn't talk and he wasn't even aware of Hannibal’s sorrow. That scared him so much his hands trembled. The thought of losing their bond was just too much and he wasn't sure he would survive, again, without his mate. He'd lost one before and this wouldn't happen again if he could avoid it. He needed to protect Will, and Neal Decroix was the only angel old enough, and with some certainty of an angel's mind during pregnancy. He was convinced this wasn't physical, not entirely, at least. And an angel's mind was just too complex for him and Will couldn't allow himself to be examined from the inside with his soul. Too invasive for a pregnancy.

They stopped to buy water and Will finally reacted. He swallowed and Hannibal was relieved he didn't throw it up. A little miracle.  
Twenty minutes later they we're standing before Decroix's door. Hannibal knocked and the doctor opened half a minute later. He looked older than Hannibal. Gray hair, beard and wrinkles all around his eyes and mouth. He wore an expensive white suit with a dark tie. He looked friendly, yet his eyes were the only way to decipher his feelings. He looked expectant.   
Neither of them exchanged a word. Neal Decroix stared at Will for nearly two minutes, then lead them inside and opened a door of a long corridor. He closed behind them and took Will's arm to lead him to an examination chair. It looked intimidating but he only used to to sit Will in it. 

“He looks like hell, Lecter” he commented, more to himself. The doctor's black, thick wings retracted to his back while he examined Will again. Eyes, mouth, chest...

“He said he can't eat. Apparently nothing stays in his stomach and he had some sort of a crisis”

“I see...” he lifted Will's chin and asked “Are you still hungry, my boy?” Will nodded and threw a hand to his belly. “It hurts, I know... it'll pass”

“Then you know what is it?” Hannibal asked, impatient.

Neal Decroix turned around, smiling.

“It's pretty normal in pregnant demons and angels. Only angels suffer the worst part” he explained. Hannibal wanted to shake him and scream at him. “If he's changed his diet, from before he was pregnant, this could happen”

“I don't...”

“If he was vegetarian, for example, and after knowing he's pregnant begins to eat meat, nothing will satisfy him or her during gestation. If he's changed diet, he has to change it back. The baby will grow accustomed to a vegetarian diet until birth and will get all it need until then. Same if he only eats ice cream, which is stupid but that's the only example I can recall right now”

“I have to feed the baby whatever I was eating before and during Heat, when it was conceived” Will remarked. He was livid and Hannibal knew exactly why.

“Mystery solved!” Decroix exclaimed, cheerful. He then sat behind his desk and scribbled on a piece of paper.

Hannibal found the strength to look up at Will and he found a very angry mate looking back.

“Mr. Graham?” the doctor said. “I expect you to come back next week. Monday at eight pm?”

“Sure” Will answered bitterly. He stood up and left the room. 

Hannibal thanked his old friend and followed Will, who was already in the car. Hannibal had a knot in his throat.

“Are you-?”

“I'm fucking perfect, thank you very much. I'm craving human meat instead of strawberries with chocolate because you couldn't resist to cannibalize me” Will snapped.

“I'm sorry, Will”

“Stop apologizing or I'll punch you in the face. Now, before I starve to death, let's drive to your house and cook someone you have inside your freezer”

Hannibal flinched but said nothing. He didn't know why but he felt remorse for making Will go through this.  
Hannibal was still eating as always and he agreed with his mate not to feed them -Will and Abigail- human meat. Now, because of him, Will had to. That wasn't the deal.

 

They arrived Hannibal’s house ten minutes later. Will followed Hannibal without a word and made himself comfortable in the dining room. He took off his jacket and just... waited.   
Hannibal went to the kitchen and put on his white apron, then started to take a few bags from the freezer. He'd make a good meal, at least. Four courses. He needed nourishment and if this was the only thing he'd get...

 

Will was so angry he saw himself killing Hannibal in sixty ways now. He had so much material to choose. And none of them were enough.  
He had to feed his baby human meat. Fantastic. His baby craved human meat because his father was a sadistic bastard and his other father loved him too much to even leave him.

Now he had to accept his pregnancy as the first cannibal pregnancy in angel's records. 

Will sighed and pressed his hot forehead to the cool table. His stomach grumbled, again, and he felt like small knives pressing into his lower belly. It was agonizing and he had to wait more. He couldn't stand it and went into the kitchen.  
He found Hannibal slicing meat. It looked like muscle. Will stared his mate's back, flexing muscles following the movements of the knife, linked to his arm. Will cleared his throat and Hannibal startled.

“Who is it?”

Hannibal looked lost for a few seconds and then he understood.

“Claire Devon” he muttered, back to the meat.

“What did she do?” What did she do to be someone's dinner?

“She... drowned her son. She was found not guilty but I checked properly” he looked back and, noticing Will's frown, he explained “I tortured her because I knew she was lying. She told me everything”

Will fidgeted on his spot and walked right by side. He glared at the meat. 

“She deserved justice”

“She would've died anyways in jail. I made sure she makes someone happy”

Will snorted and Hannibal stared at him, surprised.

“It's not funny” Will sneered but couldn't help to smile. “This is sick, you know?”

“I know. I'm sorry. I never thought...”

“Neither of us”

“It's my fault” Hannibal stammered.

“Of course it is. But there's was no way to know this. So let's just pretend it's pork or veal or whatever”

 

Abigail's heart was racing. The door looked menacing though it was just like the others. There was someone yelling two doors to the left and it seemed like a crowd.   
She swallowed and lifted a hand, knuckles ready to knock. It'd been a week already and she was more than ready. Was she? Yes. Sure. She was armed. More or less.   
Her right hand gripped tight a taser gun.  
It was more or less... useful.

One week playing detectives with Freddie Lounds for this. She was ready. She had to face the enemy. Face the menacing figure who threatened to split her family. Never again. She knocked and waited a whole minute. She wondered how long would it take to jump over the fence, save three floors, use her wings and land harmless. She couldn't answer herself, because the door opened and the same red-haired man who attacked her and Will appeared in front of her.  
His eyes widened.

“Can we talk?” she asked quietly. She managed to sound confident enough and she praised herself for it. “I'm alone”

Morgan quirked an eyebrow.

“Do you think my psycho father would let me come here? It's not a trap. No one knows I'm here”

“Come in” he gave in and let her in.

She wasted no time. She quickly spun, taser in hand, and shot him in the chest. He fell two seconds later and hit his head on the door. He landed on his side and Abigail took his hands and brought him beside the bed. She tied his feet first, then his hands behind his back.  
Five minutes later Abigail slapped him twice and he woke up. He tried the knots but desisted soon after. He couldn't get away.

“You lied!” he accused her.

“Honestly, I don't care you're offended” she chimed.

“What do you want? Are you going to kill me? I knew it... you're just like him and your father before...”

Her heart pounded fast but she still looked calm.

“Yeah I checked. I do my job”

“Hannibal escaped. And you made a mistake with us”

Dexter didn't reply.

“I don't know what you think you know about me, I don't care. I'm here to protect my family. I'm not an assassin. I'm a survivor. So I'm going to give you a chance to change your fate. Are you listening?”

“Yes”

“Good. If I let you go you must go. Don't try to kill my father, don't think about it because you'll end up dead. If you try me, you're dead. If you harm Will or try to get Hannibal through him, you die” she lowered her voice.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Yes, I am. Take it seriously”

“Why bother with all this? Kill me and it's over for all of you”

“Don't tempt me. I won't make such big mistake. I let you live because I have nothing against you. I don't care who you are” though she knew perfectly who he was, “so do as I say, save your life and your son's innocence and leave this state. Tonight”

“How-?”

“Shut up! Leave. I'm not going to kill you if you leave. You don't have to worry about Hannibal if you leave. We all win here”

“Your daddy kills and eats people” he said, smirk on his face.

“And you still think you can defeat him ” 

Dexter's smile faded and Abigail stood up. When she was opening the door, she turned around.

“Leave, Dexter Morgan”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What do you guys think?


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Hannibal's past, Abigail being just awesome, Freddie is up to something but she's not alone and... well, sexy times.

Lithuania was on the fourth war in 1519. Hannibal escaped soon after the second war and moved with his uncle and his wife. He had a good life, they could provide for him. They loved him but he was not interested in their love at that time.  
For years his brain shut off, shielding his mind from the traumatic experience he'd been through. He was sad, angry and seemed to be in other world most of the time. No one could help him but himself and he lacked the knowledge.  
He just knew something. His family was dead. The war killed them. His sister. Soldiers killed her. Not soldiers. Monsters. So he had one thing in mind. He'd avenge his sister.

It took him years. Nephilim or not, no one would take him seriously at ten, eleven, twelve years old. Revelation was yet to come.  
He waited. He prepared himself. He learned. Knowledge was power and he felt so powerful when he was sixteen.  
Like many supernatural beings, they're fast learners and he was studying medicine before seventeen. His curiosity made him find bodies to practice on, to learn. He always wanted to learn. He learned pain, blood, death. He taught them, too.

So he was prepared to kill them all. To teach them fear, pain, confusion. He hunt them all, but left their leader to feel it first. The dagger on his back, pressing, there but not yet... Hannibal found his boat. He enslaved people and sold them. Vladis Grutas did his business on his boat. And Kolnas -his old friend- sang for Hannibal.  
Hannibal found Grutas trying to rape his aunt and companion on his quest, Lady Murasaki. She escaped but told him there was nothing left to love in him. She left and she took all humanity with her. He was free to kill. And he killed. He carved Mischa's name in Grutas' chest. Blood trickling down his ribs to the floor.  
When his screaming died, he left, wounded, and stumbled upon a medical room. He passed out and feared someone had found him but when he opened his eyes, he felt clean and floating. He looked down and found bandages on his chest, arm and leg. A tall man was standing over the door. He wore expensive clothes. He seemed a good man, but Hannibal knew better than that. Then the tall man showed his wings and told him he was an angel. A very old one. His soul seemed endless. Endless knowledge...

 

Dexter Morgan took his child on his arms and climbed the staircase to the plane. They sat and put on their belts. Twenty minutes later they were flying. His chest hurt from the taser gun but there was a burning rage inside him. His Dark Passenger screamed, loud inside his head. KILL HIM, KILL THEM ALL. KILL THEM ALL. FILTHY SINNERS.

Hours passed and they landed. His head hurt but he had a mission. 

He saw them. She had a sign with his name and he walked towards her and the man behind her. 

“Mr. Morgan?”

“Dexter” he shook her hand.

“Welcome to Firenze” 

“Thank you, Ms. Pazzi”

“Allegra, please” she answered, with a thick accent.

“Rinaldo's widow”

Then the man behind her stood by her side. Dexter shook his hand.

“He's my brother-in-law. He's Rinaldo's brother, Francesco. He's from the Questura, Polizia di Stato”

A cop...

“Like your brother...”

“Yes, I'm an Inspector now, like him before he died” 

“Dexter... you know who killed my husband?” she asked, eyes cold. He nodded.

“I hope you both like children. Shall we go now? We have so much to do”

 

Will scratched the palm of his hands, again. He was nervous, again. Hannibal sighed, again.

“I'm sorry, okay? I've never had to go see any doctor in my whole life until I passed out, when we found out I was pregnant. So I'm very sorry”

“He's not a regular doctor anymore, Will. He specializes in Omega angels and pregnancy” Hannibal explained.

Will said nothing.

For one week he'd been eating human meat to keep his baby healthy. His own mind was not. He was a cannibal, disgusted by that, but happy to have his baby growing up every day. One week consciously consuming human meat.  
He'd changed, he knew that. Justice and laws were not black or white anymore. His cannibal mate was safe from him. He was his accomplice now. And he didn't feel that bad about it. Maybe all those years reading, being psychopaths, killers and all kind of people had erased all trace of Will Graham and he was just an over-painted canvas.

“We've arrived, Will” Hannibal said.

They knocked on the door and Dr. Decroix opened right away. He was wearing a gray suit. He lead them to the same room they were in last week. Neal Decroix sat behind his desk, fingers laced in front of him.

“Tell me, Will, how are you feeling?”

“Pretty well, actually. I don't know why I'm here”

“Will...” Hannibal warned him.

“Oh, let him express himself” Dr. Decroix chuckled. “It's good, I like him. Does it mean you've been the same?”

“I guess”

“Good. Are you eating properly? You're in your ninth week now”

Will was restless on his chair, but nodded.

“Stand up. Stake off your shirt and sit on the examination chair, please” he asked, standing up himself.

Will complied and, slowly, he took off his jacket and shirt. The bump was more curved than last week, Decroix noted with a satisfied look.  
He put a hand on Will's belly and closed his eyes.

Hannibal knew what he was doing. Dr. Decroix had a gift. He had a sentient touch sense. His hands were... psychic. That was the only thing Hannibal did not learn from his old friend...

 

“So?” Hannibal asked.

“Baby's fine. It's developed a heart, spine, head, very angel-like wing-bones and... a stomach. That's fast! It's bean-sized, more or less. You should be showing more. Too skinny” Dr. Decroix complained. He went back to his big chair and told Will to sit back with them.

“Well” he began, once Will put on his shirt and sat beside his mate “Your progesterone levels are high... First of all, progesterone is a hormone that maintains pregnancy; it is produced in your Heat and, later, placenta. It helped prepare your body for conception. Yours skyrocketed too fast... did your Heat strike late?”

“Yes. More than a week since the bond began to form”

“Yeah, probably because you're very young, too. No more than a century, that's sure” he deduced. “Progesterone also skyrockets something more” he said with a wicked smile. “Congratulations on the wild, kinky sex”

Will blushed so fast he felt dizzy. Hannibal coughed awkwardly but the doctor seemed amused.

“That's what I thought. Well, guys... once you're in your third month, the baby will look human, it's wings will form but not the feathers and it'll move! Good news, right? No more than ten centimeters and twenty grams. So you'll finally be showing properly” he scolded Will.

“Is that it, Neal?” Hannibal asked.

“Yes yes... get the hell out of here, Lecter. You're a pain in the ass, you know?”

“That's the most beautiful thing you've ever said to me” Hannibal said, smiling, hand over his heart. Will was speechless.

“Come back in two weeks” the doctor said, waving a hand at their direction. “You know your way out, don't make me move”

 

Once they're back in the car, a few minutes passed in comfortable silence. Will's ethereal wings, carefully inside the car, relaxed. Hannibal placed a hand on his thigh.

“This... Decroix. You've been avoiding the subject for a week”

“He's a part of my past. You wouldn't like it” Hannibal answered, again with more riddles.

Will sighed. He understood his mate; he just wanted to save him from knowing more from his horrific past. 

“Hannibal, I want to know about the man who's taking care of our baby's health” 

Hannibal’s eyes were fixed on the road but didn't seem to notice him.

“Okay, whatever” Will said, bitterly. Hannibal took his hand and squeezed. 

“He's my mentor” Hannibal said, finally. “He found me wounded when I killed the last man who ate my sister. Were not for him, I'd be dead”

Will nodded.

“Did he stay by your side all these years?”

“Only two centuries. He took me to America in the end and we parted ways. He taught me how to disappear from human hunters, because my parents couldn't. You know... before the Revelation”

“Uh-huh”

“He became the father that I lost. He made me remember Mischa's death and I could move on. He taught me how to build a house in my mind that soon became a Palace”

Will gasped. His Mind Palace!

“Why did you two...?”

“It was about time” Hannibal smiled. “We both wanted to live away from each other and our flaws”

“Oh, yes, cannibalism could be labeled a flaw”

Will felt, deep in their bond, Hannibal was hurt.

“After a while...” Hannibal explained “I didn't even think about it as wrong”

“Do you, now?”

“No” he answered. Will nodded and kept silent the rest of the trip.

 

Abigail paid the driver and watched him go. She stood in front of the big door for a moment, then she walked in. She went into the kitchen and turned on the lights. She loved Hannibal’s big house, but the kitchen was the most comfortable room.  
It was odd, because he'd brought human pieces here and it should be the most horrible place in the world. But she was strangely okay with it. Her father did the same, basically, but his motives scared her. He killed them so he shouldn't have to kill her. He would have done it, eventually. No matter how many girls like her he killed, they weren't enough.  
Hannibal wasn't a threat, for her. Nor for Will. He loved Will, she knew.

She bit her lip and stared at her hands, laced over the table. 

“What now, Abby?” she asked herself.

Abigail was about to turn seventeen, and she wanted to do something with her life early. All the nightmares that haunted her in the night would always be there and no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn't go. Maybe if she occupied her time in other things...  
What, though? 

“You have a brilliant future” Freddie Lounds told her once. Brilliant in what, exactly?

Will was brilliant. Will was a young, talented angel who put his life into something good. Saving people.  
No.  
He became evil to save good.

“I have evil in me, too” she reasoned. “Does it mean I must do good?” so you won't turn like your father... a little voice told her.

She had new fathers, new family... new opportunities. Any future she had before All The Bad Things were gone. She made her own future, now.

Abigail put her laptop over the table and looked into the FBI website.

 

Everyone in the FBI knew her. Not every look was good, though. She just smiled and showed her badge.  
Once there, she knocked on Jack Crawford's door and he told her to come in. He was alone.

“Freddie Lounds” he greeted her. “I must say I'm very curious about what you said on the phone. You couldn't be more cryptic. Please, sit down”

She sat in front of him.

“It's a delicate matter”

“You say”

“Abigail Hobbs” she noted a change in his face. “I want to investigate her past. All her moves from one year back until now”

“You don't need my permission”

“I know. I want your protection. I want assistance and backup”

“You're asking me a spare agent for your investigation” he said, mocking her.

“You know I'm very good at this. And I know you're still after her. If not, I'd already be in my car, fuming” she said, triumphant. 

“I'm interested, but I already have agents in-”

“No, you don't” Freddie interrupted. She wasn't friendly anymore. “You don't have time to investigate a closed case. You can't make it official but you can spare an agent, offer me protection and credentials and find the truth. Come on, Jack, you know I'm capable of this”

“What scares me if the media once it's over”

“It'll never end until we find the truth. The media fuss will pass, in time”

“Let me see if someone is interested” he said, sighing.

“Oh Jack, I'm sure you have someone doing a double game for you. Call him or her”

Jack shook his head and dialed a number.

“Can you come to my office? Yes, it's important. Okay. Right now” he hang up. 

“That was fast” she laughed and he ignored her.

Two minutes later someone knocked at the door. Freddie turned around and smiled when she saw a demon woman coming in. she frowned when she saw Freddie.

“Oh dear, I remember you... You're Beverly Katz”

“Yeah... Jack, what is she doing here?”

“Have a seat, we have a lot to discuss”

 

Hannibal and Will arrived home and let the dogs out. They went inside and Will took off his jacket, jeans and put on a ragged t-shirt. Hannibal sighed but smiled.

He didn't want to talk about his past, because it always upset Will in the end. He had a lot to focus on and his past was the least of his worries. 

“Where is Abigail?” Will asked from his bedroom.

“She's in my house. She wanted to think and... leave the house for us”

He heard Will laughing and he smiled, too. They knew she was sick of listening to their lovemaking and she'd bought huge earphones because of them.  
Suddenly, he felt Will's arms around his waist and his chest pressing against his back.

“Does it mean I can be as loud as I want?” Will whispered into his ear.

“Of course”

“Let's go to bed”

Hannibal turned around and kissed Will while they stumbled on their way to their bedroom. Will pushed him down on the bed and straddled his legs. Hands on Hannibal’s chest, Will started to undress him. Hannibal let Will take off his clothes, throwing them behind him, landing on the floor. He really didn't care.

Will stripped and Hannibal took off what was left. He wanted to feel Will naked. 

When Will was again over him, Hannibal bent a leg and flipped them over, gently but quick. Will gasped but opened his mouth to Hannibal’s tongue. He felt Will's hardness against his and his curved belly pressing lightly...  
Hannibal’s hand traveled down Will's side, counting every rib, easing every muscle, until he reached his hipbones. Stretched as he was, they were prominent and sharp and he dig his thumbnail into it, gaining a moan he swallowed. His other hand gripped his mate's hair.

Hannibal pulled away and Will groaned, missing his mouth. He sat on his heels and pulled Will's legs apart, bent up. He could see a glistening liquid already leaking from him. Hannibal bent and licked Will's cock from the base to the head. Will moaned and he pressed his tongue flat on the tip, then his lips around it. He sucked and swallowed half of his length. Will grabbed his hair and shot his hips up, moaning. Hannibal wanted to make him come, taste Will, but he had other plans, so he pulled out.

“What?”

“Turn around, Will” he commanded. Will turned around and Hannibal arranged his legs, parted. He put him on his knees and took a full minute to just look.  
Will moved his hips and begged to do something.

Hannibal took his cheeks in his hands and parted them, then lunged forward and licked his way in, tasting Will's sweetness. Will was moaning, whining, panting. He arched his back when he jammed two fingers in, aiming to his prostate. Hannibal pulled back.

“Come, Will, we're not finished”

Will clenched around his fingers and came, soundless, until he tried to catch his breath when Hannibal added a third, then a fourth finger.

“What are you-? I can't-”

“You can, come on” he pulled out his fingers, reached down and gripped Will's cock. At the same time, he put three fingers of his other hand back inside. 

Will was mumbling nonsense and came again. Then he collapsed and managed to lie on his side.

“Will, come on” Hannibal lay on his back and shook Will's shoulder.

“Go to Hell, you bastard” Will snarled.

Hannibal chuckled and took Will's leg, passing it over his hips. Will grunted in annoyance but straddled him. Too tired to do much, he supported his weight on Hannibal’s chest.

“You're a sadistic bastard” Will said, ethereal wings flapping.

Hannibal reached around him and guided Will's hips. He entered his mate, slowly, torturing him swaying his own hips. Will moaned and arched his back, stretching his muscles. Hannibal reached out and cupped his baby bump, then lowered to stroke Will into hardness again. He was too sensitive but didn't tell him to stop.

“Move” Hannibal whispered.

Will started to move, slowly, up and down, shallow. He went like that for minutes before he was able control himself again and to give Hannibal time. Rocking his hips, muscles taut, wings finally spread...  
Their fingers intertwined, souls free and linked. Hannibal’s darkness and Will's pureness circling each other and a single ball of energy growing inside Will. Hannibal felt their baby's presence when they made love and it was so beautiful they decided to make it last as long as they could. No hurry, enjoying the moment. Their skin touching, their hands connected, their souls dancing around each other. Their pleasure being so intense both of them trembled before their climax. 

Will clenched deliciously around him while he brought Will down for a kiss. He felt his mate's seed over his belly, hot and sticky, but smelling so good. So Will...

Minutes later, they lay tangled legs, facing each other and Hannibal’s big wings around them. Hannibal tickled his mate's soft skin around his navel, thinking of his soon to be son or daughter. Who will it look like? Will it have his or Will's eyes? Will his baby be born with his evil nature or with Will's innocence? He just wanted his baby to grow with both his parents, loved and protected.

 

Will slept until afternoon.  
He was alone but the bed was still warm. He loved waking up with his mate but he was sleeping more now, so he couldn't ask Hannibal to stay with him all the time.

He found Hannibal in the kitchen, Winston and Jane at his feet. He heard the kittens mewling and went to touch them and the mother. They called her Silk. She had five little kittens; two white, a black one and two gray. They still had their little eyes closed but mewled loud as hell.

“Are you hungry?” Hannibal asked.

“I could eat a horse” or a whole human.

“Good. I'm going out tonight”

“I'll wait for you, then” Will approached him, caressing Winston's ear.

“You don't have to, Will. It won't take too long, though. You must sleep”

They looked at each other. Both of them knew what Hannibal had to do that night. 

“Have you called Abigail?” Will asked, sitting on the counter.

“She did! She's still in mu house but she'll be here in a few hours. Just right on time for dinner”

“Do you feed her human meat, too?”

“No, Will, I don't”

Will reached out and touched his shoulder, rubbing circles with his thumb. He pulled him in for a hug and kissed his cheek.

“This is hard for all of us” Will muttered, still close to him. He meant it. “Listen, I... I can't change the way you are. And, want it or not, I fell in love with you. And... forgive me Jack and God, cannibal or not”

Hannibal smiled sadly but accepted it anyways. Will hoped he could see he cared for him.

“Who are you going to...?”

“Ben Hedecki”

“Hedecki?”

“Probably false, but it's all I have. He killed his sister and abused her for years. He's an angel but his sister was a Nephelim. That's all I know”

Will nodded and let him cook. They agreed Hannibal would only kill, or sacrifice, people he knew was guilty of a big crime. At least Will wanted to believe Hannibal granted this. He wanted to believe.

“I was thinking... Since Abigail is going to come in a few hours...” Hannibal looked up, eyebrows up. “Oh come on! You know”

“I like it when you say it”

“Fuck me over the table” Will grunted.

“Decroix was right on the kinky sex, then”

“Fuck you!” Will blushed and looked away.

“If you want to. But I prefer the couch or the bed” Hannibal smirked and Will tilted his head to one side.

“Really?”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow and went over the sink to wash his hands. When he turned around, he took Will's hand and lead him back to the bed. Hannibal stripped them off and lay on his back. Will positioned over him, between his legs, and leaned in for a kiss, teasing his mate's bottom lip. He loved when Hannibal showed him these small gestures of trust. Not every Alpha offered so naturally themselves to their partner. It was just different, but Hannibal liked being vulnerable with Will and he appreciated this more than anything.

“Just be careful with the baby” Hannibal said.

Will nodded and took the bottle of lube they rarely used and uncapped it. Will poured a large amount of lube on his fingers and teased Hannibal’s entrance. He was relaxed enough in one minute to put two fingers at once. Hannibal hissed but parted his legs and thrust up so Will just enjoyed his mate's pleasure. Hannibal was astoundingly beautiful like this.

“Your wings, please” Will asked.

And they slowly appeared from underneath Hannibal. Will first saw the biggest set, coming out from his back, and stretching on the bed and out of it. Then the smaller set.  
Will knelt and fingered Hannibal with one hand, while caressed his feathers with the other. He missed touching his wings so he often asked Hannibal to show them to him. He slept every night with them now.

Hannibal was never loud in bed but Will scored mentally every time a sound came from his mouth. Like gasping, a soft moan or a hiss that seemed like an animal. Will pulled out his fingers and entered him slowly. He fixed his eyes on Hannibal’s face. His hair back, mouth slightly open and nostrils flared.

“Talk to me, Hannibal, please...” Will begged in a shaky voice.

Hannibal opened his eyes and brought up a hand to bury his fingers on Will's curls.

“What do you want me to say?” his voice was tense with pleasure and Will shivered. He started to move. “Do you want me to say how much I like this? You being inside me, driving me mad? Because I love it, and we don't do this as much as I want because you want me fucking you everyday, right? Oh yes, Will... you love it, you crave it”

“Like that, just like that...” Will whimpered, thrusting harder into his mate. Hannibal was panting.

“You're hopeless. You like this too much... Do you know what I plan to do with you? I'm going to tie you down to my table, spread open, and I'm going to eat on you. Lick the juice and sauces trickling down your body, graze your skin with my knife, have you all red and aching.”

Will cried out and his thrust became more violent, harsh, and Hannibal arched his back. He came and Will was so close.

“Oh, but after that...” he panted “you'll be begging for mercy, for me to give you release because I won't stop teasing you all night. Then, I'll fuck you, Will, so hard it'll be a miracle the table won't break”

Will came, mouth open but no sound coming from it. He released his seed deep into Hannibal, and felt his insides throbbing. He pulled out and lay on his side, head on Hannibal’s chest. They were both too tired to even talk. Will took his mate's hand and brought it down to his belly. He was used to his touch.

“That was...”

“Shhh”

“Okay” Will nodded.

 

Later that night, they were all having dinner, when Abigail said she really wanted to join the FBI.

“I think that's great. I'll talk to Crawford”

“Good. Make me look like I'm completely normal and not traumatized and a psycho in front of him”

“Don't worry” Will laughed.

“Oh, I think I'm being followed” she said nonchalantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too much porn? nevermind
> 
>  
> 
> Okay, Next chapter might come next Sunday but it'll be worth it, ok?
> 
> See you next week...  
> AFTER HOLIDAYS


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's see... one month later from the last episode.
> 
> \- Some Alana/Bev sexytimes  
> \- Freddie and Bev get something they could use against Abigail  
> \- Will's cravings...  
> \- A fight and make up sex  
> etc

As the baby grew, Will's cravings went out of control. It wasn't enough three meals a day. Will wanted more. Will craved more and felt starving when there wasn't enough food or a next course.  
Abigail just shook her head and let it go, as quiet and thoughtful as always. But Hannibal received unwanted attention from a moody pregnant Omega. His temper was unstable and one night cried because there wasn't a dessert he liked. Next hour he was out buying human-free ice cream, to be throwing up later. He blamed Hannibal, of course.

Hannibal’s victims weren't enough. So he had to use his card holder and hunt some rude people. He didn't tell Will. But he wasn't his biggest problem. One night, he caught a sniff of Abigail's scent. He lost his prey to get her out of there before she got caught.  
He didn't know how to react and found it rather amusing. She was scared of what he might tell her or worse... what if he told Will? He felt the bond tight, uncomfortable. She was waiting and he kept her waiting for a little longer.  
She was surprised they weren't home. Hannibal brought them both to his house. He hadn't slept there for a month, only Abigail used it to study or relax.

“What are we doing here?” 

“You'll see” he reassured her with a gentle smile.

And they talked. They talked for hours. It was clear Abigail was getting restless and she didn't know why. In the end she had to tell him what she did. How she followed Dexter and used Freddie's help to find his place. How she attacked him -Hannibal smiled proudly- and menaced him to leave. She cried because she thought that would make him angry. He was proud and a little disappointed for not thinking like her. 

“You've protected the family”

And she didn't have reasons to cry anymore. 

But that was a month ago, and Hannibal took care of her needs. She wasn't bored anymore. She accompanied him and, later, she hunt with him. It was exciting to share his nature with family. It all started with family... and he loved to look at her eyes, big and blue, just like her sister... 

“I did it for you, Mischa” he repeated himself everyday “and now I'm doing it for me”

He let Abigail look into his soul, and let Mischa take her into his secret and Dark Rooms of his Mind Palace. He explained her, by memories, his life. Even some parts he dare not show Will. He was still afraid of Will's rejection.   
But Abigail was fascinated, and wanted to learn, so he taught her, over the month, how to be like him. And Abigail learned so fast... she killed a lawyer, his former lawyer, one week after. She performed brilliantly. She was smooth in her pace, silent as a cat, and fast. Before he could die, she told him why he was dying. She told him he was rude, and a pervert. Hannibal told her his former lawyer loved to look at little boys and girls and, lucky for him, he would be baby's food. 

He was a proud father and Abigail seemed happier at home. She loved being with Will but, every two nights, she transformed into a killing machine and together they were lethal.   
She even had a personal list Hannibal was honored to help with. 

Will, oblivious to the slaughter both of them did for him, was becoming more tempered. He was anxious to get out of the FBI for some time, to rest, to write... about psychopathy and sociopathy. Abigail was very curious about it and asked him constantly to call her for any help.  
Hannibal realized, Abigail was a sociopath. She served for his purpose and was good to the family, so he dealt with her perfectly fine.

 

“It's been a month already” Beverly groaned, irritated, head hanging between her hands.

Freddie Lounds, seated in front of her, chuckled and kept typing. Her laptop was so hot she knew it needed a break, but she still needed those recordings...

“Have a little faith, Bev, I know we're getting closer” she chirped.

Beverly looked up and frowned. 

“Why are you so damn happy?”

“This guy has a book store and he swears he's seen Abigail Hobbs”

Beverly jumped out of her chair and almost ran around the table to get behind Freddie. She put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

“Girl, you're my hero”

“Yeah, no. I'm more like Deadpool”

“Who?”

“Nevermind” she sighed. “Well, the thing is... he's not sure he should give up the tapes, but I'm gently convincing him”

Beverly nodded and walked into the kitchen. She poured herself another cup of coffee and leaned on the counter. A red light on her phone was blinking and she checked her messages. Alana was worried because she didn't call her in all day. Beverly felt guilty but she was working on the case. They've been mostly doing nothing for a month before the track was clear again and they couldn't put it down now. Alana would be home in less than thirty minutes and Beverly was so stressed...

“Hey, I got 'em!” Freddie yelled from the living room. 

“Good” she mumbled. 

“Listen, the guy needs to find the date first, so tomorrow by this time we'll be able to get a look at them, so I guess we're done for the day”

Beverly sighed in relief. She wanted to get the work done but there were limits.

When she entered the living room, her demon colleague was picking up all her stuff. She was very well equipped and she knew how to do her job. They became friends, albeit her reluctance to work with a journalist. She was more like a detective. Besides, she was a Beta and they had something to make the rest of the world calm down.

“Say hello to Wendy”

“I will” Freddie looked up and took her last backpack, then she left.

 

Alana arrived home and took off her heels. Then she dropped the briefcase near their bedroom. She was so tired. Her wings stretched and she let her dress fall with only untying a knot. She walked into the living room and saw her mate sleeping on the couch, an empty mug on the floor. She saw, through the small slit her eyes were open, the darkness. All demons sleep like that, open through a slit, to keep an unconscious eye on everything around them. Alana smiled and knelt in front of her, stroking her hair. She was tired, too.

Alana let her mate sleep and put on a silky robe before sitting on the other couch with her laptop, doing some work. She couldn't help sending furtive glances to Beverly every two minutes until she couldn't stand it anymore and lay down, on her side, in front of her. The couch was wide enough for both of them. She drifted in and out of sleep for a long time, watching her, sharing their warmth, caressing her waist and back.   
She bit her lip and looked at the clock. It was time to wake up...

Alana opened the buttons of her mate's jeans, slowly, looking at her and stopping every time a wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. When she finally opened her jeans, she slipped her hand, barely fitting between flesh and fabric. In small circles, massaged her clitoris until Beverly started to move and pant, softly, between parted lips. Her other hand pleasured herself and felt the robe slipping up over her hips, leaving her naked waist down. Beverly's hips moved along with her finger and found her slick and hot. Two fingers slipped in and Beverly was finally awake, moaning. She smiled briefly and put her arms around Alana's neck, her head resting on the demon's arm.

“Hi” she said, and Alana kissed her while thrusting up her fingers and pressing her thumb to her clitoris. 

Beverly came and she swallowed her orgasm until she needed to breathe. 

“Let me” Beverly asked and put herself on her knees while Alana lay on her back, legs parted.

The demon looked down and felt herself throbbing between her legs, still sticky and aching. But Alana sure felt the same and she wanted to taste her. First, she pulled at the robe and saw her pale body naked, breasts full and nipples hard. She was going to take care of them later.   
Now she went down, lapping at her sex, smelling her while her hands gripped the robe, useless at her sides. She came within seconds with just Beverly’s tongue.

Only after an hour they left the couch and started making dinner. Beverly constantly sniffing her neck and telling her how wonderfully good smelled the sex on her.

“You seem very happy” Alana commented. 

“Yeah, good news on the case. We're getting closer”

“Still can't talk about it?”

“You know I can't... careful with those, they're not medium rare yet”

“Okay, don't worry. I understand”

“Have you... known from the Hobbs girl?”

“She's a Lecter now. And no, no since last week”

“That's weird, I guess?”

 

Freddie, on her laptop, asked Wendy if she wanted to go out for dinner. She was already cooking. Freddie nodded and took a look at her email. Nothing new. 

She knew they were playing something very dangerous, but someone had to pay for her evil. Abigail went to her when she was in need and, fool of her, she helped the poor girl. She was wary of that Morgan, but he just... left. Right after Abigail... what if the life of an innocent man was on her hands? Even if he was a dick, if he was innocent...

If, if, if... If Abigail had disposed of Dexter Morgan, just like the girls... Maybe she wasn't another victim of Garret Jacob Hobbs. Maybe she was taking over him. That's why she was risking her own life. For so many “ifs”.

 

Will wanted to think he was too early, but he looked up at the clock and... no, he was just in time and it was Hannibal the one who was late.

“Will Graham” Dr. Decroix appeared from behind the door.

“Hello, doctor”

“Please, come in” Will stood up and looked back at the front door. “Is he not here?”

“He's... late” Will said.

They took their seats and the doctor opened Will's file.

“Well, we'll begin without Hannibal... You're seventeen weeks or, as some people prefer, four months and one week. Sit on the examination chair, I'm going to touch your belly and see the baby”

Will nodded and got up, sitting on said chair and lifting up his cardigan and shirt. He forgot the coat on his car... damn it!  
The doctor came up to his side and put his hands on his slightly curved belly. 

“At least you're showing a little, now!” he exclaimed, smiling up at him. Only one corner of his lip went up as an answer. “Look, William, I know you're angry... I can feel it in my fingers, you know?” he chuckled. “But remember your body is changing for your baby and, for a few months you're not going to feel like yourself”

“That sucks”

“Yeah, sure it does. But you're close to feeling normal again so don't be too hard on him. You see, I know him for centuries and I've never seen him more committed to something for years. Well, for someone...”

“Clarice...” Will whispered, leaning back on the chair.

“Clarice, yes” his thumbs pressed under his navel. “That woman was different. I know you know about him, Will, so I'm going to say this like friend to friend. She knew what he was before getting involved with him”

Will frowned and looked at his dark eyes. He was serious about it...

“How...?”

“How did she stand him? Love is love, and he wouldn't hurt her. You know he only does what he does for his reasons and not everyone is a victim just for saying hello to him. She worked for the FBI, long ago, when they met. She was investigating a case. She found him but let him go. Years later they found each other and she gave him some peace”

“It's... complicated”

“He is” the doctor corrected him, chuckling. He pulled his hands back and sat back on his chair. “The wings are formed, and it looks pretty angel-ish. Soon it'll begin to move. Well, I know the gender... wanna know?”

Will arranged his clothes back and thought for a second before sitting back before him and nodding.

“It's a boy. And he's healthy”

Will smiled and laughed, touching his belly and looking down at it. He was going to ask what else did he feel when the door opened. Will turned around and clenched his jaw.

“I'm so sorry, Will” Hannibal apologized, walking up to him and kissing the top of his head. “I had to drop Abigail at my house and I lost track” he sat beside him but Will ignored him.

“Hello, dear friend” Decroix greeted him.

“Hello, Neal. Everything's fine?”

“Yes! The baby is growing strong and, well, Will should tell you the rest-”

“Thank you, doctor” Will interrupted him, standing up “but we're leaving now”

He left the room, with a very confused Hannibal and a very much amused Neal Decroix.

Will was buckling up the seat belt when Hannibal tapped on the window. Will sighed, eyes on the wheel and, opened the window. 

“Are you going to explain me what was that?”

“Are you going to explain me why are you late? The only thing I ask was to come with me to this appointments”

“Will, I was with Abigail and-”

“So what? She could have come with you!” Will faced him, almost hissing. He could feel a heavy knot on his stomach.

“You're not being reasonable, Will” his voice changed, and Will felt like a kid being scolded.

“I am not reasonable? You're taking her with you to kill, and I'm NOT being reasonable?”

Hannibal opened his mouth but nothing came out. He just looked down and Will started the engine.

“Yeah, I thought that... I'll see you at home” he said, bitterly.

Will drove faster than he should but no police lights followed him so he didn't mind that much. He was so angry now. Did Hannibal really think he could fool him? He'd been living with him for months, and he knew how to recognize serial killers, psychopaths and sociopaths... he'd been working for decades to get them behind the bars. Hannibal had escaped him, because he wasn't any of that. He was worse. But Abigail showed clear signs of something. And the continued comings and goings with Hannibal every two or three nights to... get Will what he and the baby needed, was a pretty big sign. Hannibal had taken Abigail under his wing. Not literally. But close. 

Will sighed. His life had changed, months ago, and there was no going back. He'd been fighting these bad people for... nothing? But Hannibal and Abigail were family now, even if they were just as bad as the others.

He didn't know why but he loved them. Well, he knew. He was just as lonely as they were and they actually loved each other. What else can you ask? For a start a normal mate, not willing to kill someone for the wrong look at the wrong time.  
Still, this was his life now... and pregnant.

He arrived home and parked his car. He opened the door and let the dogs smell and lick at him. The cat went out, too and the dogs followed her. He sat on the porch and waited for Hannibal, who came five minutes later.   
Some dogs went to say hello to him and then dispersed again.

“Will?”

“Come in” Will stood up and walked into the kitchen. The kittens were asleep. Will sat up on the counter.

“I'm sorry, Will”

“You're not” Will snapped, looking at him. “I know you and I know Abigail, too. If this is the way she's chosen... But, did you really think I wouldn't notice? You two live with me and it was pretty clear. Damn it, Hannibal, this is what I do! I think and feel like you sometimes, when your... killer waves are too high, okay?” Will set his jaw and shrugged. “I'm angry because you didn't tell me. Because you two would fuck it up some day and you would think I'm too naïve to know. I am not”

Hannibal just stood there, lost, speechless. He nodded.

“I brought us dinner” he turned around.

Will felt like crying but swallowed the tears.

 

Abigail's apron was bloody and she didn't know where the rest were, so she kept it on until it was all over. The kitchen was spotless, as shiny as always. The “food” was stored in the freezer and the rest... well, Hannibal took care of it all.   
She was left to cut the meat off the bones and put the bones to boil. 

And she was getting better every time. 

Abigail looked up at the clock. It was late and she called a taxi. Ten minutes later she was on her way home.

 

The table was set for three but only Will and Hannibal were having dinner. Will was on his fourth course and Hannibal finished his second dish. He took a sip of wine and he didn't taste it like yesterday. He was too distracted, his mind trying to find the words to apologize. He'd misunderstood obliviousness for betrayal and he was paying it all now. I'm sorry was not enough.

“Stop. Thinking” Will croaked. 

“Will, I-”

“Stop”

And he did. He stood up and took the plates to the kitchen. After a few minutes, Will brought the rest and Hannibal washed them and put them back in their place.   
Abigail arrived. 

“Hi!” she said to him. “Where's... Will?”

“Bedroom. He knows”

Hannibal turned around and saw the fear in her eyes. 

“He's angry because we didn't tell him. He knew”

“Oh God...” she mumbled, sitting down on a chair. “I'm going to apologize, right now”

She stood up but stopped after two steps.

“How did he react?”

“Badly. He's hurt and he hasn't forgave me yet”

Abigail nodded and swallowed. Hannibal waited in the kitchen and fed the dogs and cat. Ten minutes later she came back with a sad smile on her lips.

“He wants you in there. He's... well. He wants to talk”

Hannibal’s heart jumped and almost ran to their bedroom. Will was on the bed, on his side, ethereal wings around him, as if he missed their touch. He probably did.   
He sat on the other side of the bed and waited.

“I'm still angry” 

“I know, I can feel it” Hannibal admitted, and brought his hand up to his chest. The bond tugged at him. “It's hard to breathe”

“I know” Will whispered. “Listen, I'm very unstable right now. The doctor said I'd feel more like myself soon”

Hannibal turned around but Will was still on his side, his back to him.

“You must understand our situation, Hannibal, and understand how I feel for loving you. Even those dark parts you don't want me to look at. I've seen enough evil, believe me. Knowing you is not going to make me regret this, no when we've come so far”

Hannibal nodded and took off his jacket, vest and shirt. Will turned around. Hannibal saw his eyes and knew he'd been crying. But he also saw lust.  
Will sat up and took his wrist before he could open the fly of his trousers. Then he pulled and Hannibal was forced to lay on the bed, on his back. He found Will's eagerness a fair payment for his actions. He was Will's tonight. He was at his mercy.  
Will crawl down and took off his shoes and socks, leaving him in his undershirt and trousers, very aroused and pliant, just looking. Then his mate straddled him and rubbed his backside to his erection, rough fabric hurting him. Will took off his shirt and underwear and urged Hannibal to touch his baby. Hannibal found his expression indescribable and just enjoyed the feeling of their baby, just a little ball of energy that emerged from his soul. It was another soul in the purest way of creation. Will finally smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

When he pulled back he guided his hand to his already slick entrance and made Hannibal stretch him with his fingers. He moaned and his head fell back, hands on either side of his head, gripping the pillow.   
Hannibal felt the heat from inside, the slick lubrication running down the palm of his hand. One of Will's hands unfastened his trousers and took him out, stroking to full hardness. Hannibal moaned softly and let his head fall back, then closed his eyes.  
Will grabbed his hands -took the one that was fingering him too- and brought them up over his head, fingers grazing the headboard.

“Don't move” Will ordered him. 

He sank on his cock, heat around him. So hot, tight and perfect. Hannibal thrust up and Will gasped in surprise. Then Hannibal felt his weight on him, pinning him down to the bed, mouth on his neck and jaw, while his hips rotated in the most tortuous way he could imagine.

“I'm soiling your clothes, doctor Lecter” he whispered, while he pulled out and then sat back on. “It's so slick and it comes out so easily that I'm leaking”

Hannibal turned his head and bit his neck, mouth watering. Will hissed in pain and clenched around him. It was pretty clear he enjoyed a certain amount of pain. Will stopped, too overwhelmed to even move a muscle, and waited for Hannibal to open his mouth. He wouldn't, yet. His teeth sank harder and sucked, and a pained whimper slipped from Will's lips. Hannibal let him go and Will leaned back, his cock going deeper into him. Will moaned and closed his eyes.

“Your hands... don't move them. Don't you dare” Will warned, as he leaned, hands on Hannibal’s chest.

Will started to rock his hips, reaching deep into him, and Hannibal did nothing but enjoy the sight. Will was so aroused it looked painful, but he wouldn't touch without permission. He loved the way his sharp hipbones contrasted with the soft curve of his belly. Their child was there. It grew stronger every day.   
Then all the gentleness of Will's movements changed and he started to bounce, and lean closer to his body, where Will could rub his cock against his lower belly and navel.  
Soon Will dug his nails into his skin and came with a soft groan, panting. He ended boneless on top of him.

“Can I...?” Hannibal asked, in a shaky, strained voice. Will nodded against his neck and Hannibal took him by his hips and moved them on their sides, facing each other.

Hannibal brought up Will's leg, over his waist, and thrust gently into him. His muscles relaxed and stretched enough for a slow lovemaking. And Hannibal made it last, for minutes, until Will felt so raw that it burned. Then Hannibal’s thrusts turned fast and shallow until he came deep inside Will. He pulled out and took off his stained clothes and went back to Will's side. 

Hannibal scooped him up with his wings and enveloped them in a warm cocoon of dark, soft feathers. In the dim light, he studied his mate's face. He was mated to an angel. The purest being of Creation. And he found he wanted to keep him by his side, if he let him. 

“I feel more like myself now” Will admitted, some minutes later.

“I'm glad”

“I should be angry, with all this... situation” he still avoided it.

“You should've called Crawford the moment you heard Mr. Morgan”

Will looked down and licked his lips.

“I don't regret being with you. I love you no matter what... I know what you are, and I knew Abigail wasn't... you know, like other girls. Yet I will protect you both because we're a family” Will said in a whisper, taking his hand and placing it over his belly. “Even if it's a broken, twisted family”

“We're all twisted and rotten, but you and the baby are the light to our darkness” he said, sadly, knowing Abigail would never be the innocent girl she was before her father told her what he did. Hannibal was only different on one point: he would never hurt her.

“I can't say no to that” Will laughed.

“Please, have some sleep. You need to rest”

“Yeah...”

Will was making circles over his forearm when he chuckled and said: “It's a boy. The doctor said it's a boy”

Hannibal smiled, kissed him on his forehead and had a dream where his child played with Mischa and Abigail watched over them, making purple bubbles in their coppery bathtub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing this chapter, today, for like... four hours?? So if you see something that DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE please know I'm so tired I can't remember my user name in Tumblr....
> 
> http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/
> 
> I had to check and I remembered YAY!
> 
> See you! Leave some comments telling me how you hate or love or the uncertainty towards my little story.  
> I love you, guys!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more dangers ahead.  
> Nothing's easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you guys to forgive me for being too late. And if it's a little too dark or stupid, well, I'm having a rough time at home and it's been difficult to find a few hours to write.
> 
> Enjoy!

No one knows. No one remembers. No one asked why, but there's something magic in those months an angel is created. Within months, brain and organs function to receive the first information of the outside world. No one knows the first thing they get to feel is their parent's soul and voice. They get attached to it, they are their anchor to the world and they ache for it when they're born. Once their parents' souls and voices match in and outside, they happily forget and unconsciously, those memories burn a scar in the deepest of their pure souls.   
If the little angels is born in Heaven, they're to receive the Grace the moment the Healers touch the baby. Angel or Nephilim babies born in Earth might never receive the Grace, or earn it in the most mysterious way in Creation... But no one knows.

 

 

2 Weeks before...

The widow Pazzi took his wrist and pulled. He followed her, wrinkling his nose, disgusted by the awful smell of the alley. It was too dark and the mercenary was late.

“He should be here...” she whispered.

“I don't think this is a good idea”

“We talked about this” she remarked “and this man knew my husband, so it's the only way I know without involving the Sardinian”

Dexter frowned. He didn't want to think of that ugly, smelly Carlo again. He'd almost killed him last week but Allegra was with him and she couldn't see what he did.  
The Sardinian and his family were not an option.

“I know, but this guy isn't what I-”

“My, my, the lovely wife of Pazzi again!” said a voice in the dark.

Dexter spun around and blocked Allegra from the voice.

“Are you the mercenary?”

Then the voice laughed and a young man stepped into the dim light. He looked younger than him, dark hair, brown eyes and seemingly human. He wore jeans and a white shirt.

“Mercenary sounds so dramatic... ” he smiled and jammed his hands into his pockets. Dexter relaxed. “I'm Walt but people call me Crimson”

“And mercenary sounds less dramatic than a superhero name”

The man shrugged and chuckled, circling them.

“What's the job, then?”

“Don't you want to know who we are or why?”

“I'm only interested in money, baby” he said, no longer joking.

Allegra and Dexter looked at each other and she nodded. Then Dexter took a paper bag from his jacket and handed it to the mercenary. He didn't look like it.

“The name's Hannibal Lecter. He's a psychiatrist and he's mated to an FBI agent. Sort of... They have a surrogate daughter and what it seems a baby on the way. I only want Lecter down. If the daughter opposes...”

“The daughter?”

“Her father, the biological one, was a sadistic bastard. Garret Jacob Hobbs. The information is in there” he pointed the bag. “She's quite a little beast, be careful”

“And his mate?”

“A pregnant Omega” Dexter chuckled. “Also an angel, working for the FBI, so I am sure he broke the bond with the doctor”

The mercenary did not react. He wasn't so sure, then.

“Is that it?”

“The rest is there. I was pretty close, but he escaped. He's very strong and he'll kill you if he has the chance”

He saw Allegra turning her head to a side, bracing herself. She was still hurt.

“Will you do it?”

“Oh dear, you've paid me pretty much what I'd spend in two lives. I'll do it and buy you a cake”

 

He knew it was a nightmare, because he could hear Mischa crying. But he couldn't see her. He heard them, too. Laughing, singing, pounding the casserole and the fire snapping. But he couldn't see them.  
He felt cold, and sticky, and when he tried to move his head something got into his eye. It smelled like blood but it was so dark he couldn't see anything. He opened his mouth and tasted cold blood, but it wasn't coagulated.  
Then Mischa stopped crying and he felt a heavy fist in his chest. He knew what that meant. He'd dreamed of that so many times...

“I should have been stronger. I should have saved you”

But there was no emotion in his voice. It was almost like a prayer, something to make him remember why he was like this. He knew better. He couldn't justify all the blood he'd shed, all the lives he'd taken. Mischa's death and revenge were over. But he still bathed in the blood of the people he'd killed.  
He sighed, accepted his dark soul and sank his fingers into the cold blood. Suddenly the moon was over him and he brought up his arm. The blood slipped from his fingers, dancing in little dark shiny rivers through his arms. They looked like veins in them.   
The blood was black.

A baby started to cry, but it wasn't Mischa. Mischa was dead. This baby wanted something and he stood up. He looked around and saw a man's silhouette under the blood. He walked on the blood, feeling it warming up under him, until he knelt by the man.   
He touched him and he was warm. Still alive.   
Hannibal started to clean away the blood, starting with the face, and gasped when he saw Will. He frantically tried to take him out of the sticky blood. Then he discovered Will was cradling a baby. The baby that cried. Their baby.

 

Hannibal gasped and slapped his hand over his mouth to block the scream that was beginning to rise from his throat. He was trembling, tense and gripping the sheets hard with his other hand. 

“Hannibal?” Will asked, groaning. 

Hannibal moved away his shaky hand and slowly placed it over Will's waist, telling him he was fine.

“You're cold” Will complained. 

“Sorry”

Will tensed and turned around as quickly as his belly allowed it. He could see the moonlight through his ethereal wings.  
Will's eyes were almost closed but opened wide when he saw him.

“Hannibal... what is it?” Will asked, hands on his face.

Hannibal looked into his eyes, still blue even in the dark. His sole vision of him, alive, was enough to calm him down. He breathed clean and the sweet scent of Will.

“Nightmare?” Hannibal nodded. “Mischa? No? Abigail?”

“It was you... and the baby” he whispered, fearing it.

Will sighed and shook his head, setting his head down on his chest and throwing his arm over his waist. He felt the bump at his side and relished in the warmth of his body and, after a few minutes, he started to feel better.

“I'm sorry for waking you up”

“It's okay, I wasn't really sleeping”

“You don't need to lie”

“The baby chooses this time to move around, I'm not lying!” Will hissed kicking his calve. Hannibal chuckled and kissed the top of his head.

Will took his wrist and placed his hand on his belly. He loved to feel the baby, even when he wasn't moving. The life he felt was enough to make him smile.

“After all the lives I've destroyed, it feels good to create one” he confessed.

“You'll create more” Will said, voice muffled by his chest.

“What?”

“Honestly, did you really think this will be the only child we're having?”

Hannibal swallowed and pressed Will harder to his side.

“Thank you”

“It's not a favor, it's not funny to be pregnant. I just think the Lecter family must be big again”

Hannibal smiled, memories of the old book of the family, lost in the war, floating into his mind. He loved to look at it. His parents told him about the first Lecter, an angel who loved the Earth and how he established his line... such a long story. But he loved his father's voice and he used to remember the book and the tales and dates in there.

“You're almost six months” Hannibal reminded, a few minutes later. Will laughed.

“Another four to go”

“You should tell Jack to-”

“I'm not asking for the paternity leave just yet” he interrupted.

“Very well” it wasn't clever arguing with Will... pregnant.

“It's late, where's Abigail?”

Hannibal reached out with the bond but Abigail wasn't home yet.

“She's still out there. She must be finishing”

“I'm not happy with this” Will reminded him.

Abigail not only was learning from Hannibal, she was taking after him. She loved to provide for the family until next year, when she'd join the FBI Academy. Will was so confused he often just went quiet and left them talking about murder. Hannibal hated to see Will like that but he wanted to take care of Abigail. She really wanted to help but she had the need to kill. She was a psychopath and that wouldn't just “go away” in time. He needed a guide and Hannibal provided the skills and the will to keep up with a young psychopath.

“There was no other option, Will...”

 

Her senses were at its finest. He could hear his breathing, the clink of his keys every step. She felt the darkness around her, protecting her from his eyes, and embraced it. It was hers, and the man was hers too. He was dead already, he just didn't know yet. He shouldn't have hit his mate. His mate was a good man. Young, and an Omega demon. Uncommon. He was sweet and caring. Why this simple human thought himself better? What gave him the right to mistreat his mate? He even fucked another two Betas.  
Hannibal told her who he was, and how he knew him. He was a lawyer, lover of the opera. Hannibal knew instantly what a monster he was.  
But it wasn't his. Abigail would get him, and make him pay. She wanted Will to taste her victory. 

A branch snapped, not under her feet, and she turned around. Her heart was pounding, and she tried to find the source of the sound. The lawyer was starting the engine of his car. The bastard left the smell of sex and bad cologne behind. He escaped!

She was furious. What was that sound? 

Then she froze in mid-step. She felt someone. Abigail swallowed hard. She couldn't go back to the shadows, so she started walking, this time slower. Her wings stretched and folded at her back. If she was going to fight, her wings would protect her and put the opponent off balance. She crossed her arms under her breasts and touched with the tip of her fingers the knife she hid in there. Hannibal’s gift.

She held her breath, and... there. Footfalls. Behind her.

Abigail turned around, her wings spreading in circle, tense... the knife sliced its way out from her sleeve, and she adopted a defensive position. A black van roared to her side and she followed it with her eyes. The windows were black and there was no license plate. 

She hid the knife inside her boot and took off her jacket. Whoever they were, they were gone.  
Still, when she turned around, she caught a scent... Abigail smiled.

“Gotcha!” 

Then she headed back home.

The dogs were silent when she entered the house. The cat and her babies were asleep and the only sound she could clearly hear was Will panting in his bedroom. “Tomorrow then...” She rolled her eyes and went to her room. She took off her clothes and put on an oversized hoodie, then went to bed. She grabbed her earphones and heard some music until she was asleep.  
A few hours later, just before sunrise, she turned it off and went back to sleep.

 

A vein in Crawford's forehead was close to explode. Or so Freddie Lounds thought, not paying much attention to the recording. She'd analyzed over a hundred times. Crawford's health was more of her concern now.

“Sir, we should take a break. I'll invite you two to-”

Katz turned around and shook her head. Well, she knew him better anyways. 

So Freddie sighed and slumped back to the wall. She waited another three minutes and saw Crawford closing his laptop, standing up and throwing a punch to the wall. Katz didn't even flinched. Apparently that was normal.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled to the wall.

“Jack, sir, it's not safe to assume she was there to murder Lindsay Adams. We only know for sure it was her father”

“She was there with him!” he yelled at her, pointing at the laptop. “Find more proof, do whatever you have to do, but I'm convinced she was with him!”

Katz nodded and took Freddie's arm. They both left his office as fast as they could and pressed the button to the cafeteria. Once the doors of the elevator closed, they both sighed in relief.

“I thought his vein-”

“Yeah, me too” Beverly laughed, both demons looking at each other.

“Where are we going?”

“You owe me a coffee. Besides, Alana is down there. It's time we talk about all this with her”

Freddie frowned.

“Are you sure?”

“She needs to know” Beverly explained. “Abigail is her patient. And I know she cares for that kid. If Abigail knows something... I'm not saying she's guilty... If she knows something, and has an explanation for this, then I want to help her”

The doors opened and they walked side by side.

“Then you think she's not guilty?”

“I think I'm not Will Graham” she stated “and that we can't ask him if he thinks his daughter is a murderer”

“He could be covering her up” Freddie pressed.

“I don't know... Will is not like that”

“But you said he likes to help people”

Beverly shook her head. “Not personally. For him, to catch a serial killer is enough”

They spotted Alana sipping at her coffee, a fork up between her fingers. The salad was almost on the plate.

“It's time”

 

Back home, Alana was still so angry she almost ran to their bedroom and closed herself in the bathroom. She sat on the bathtub and cried out of frustration.   
What if Abigail was really a murderer? What if she was just hiding a terrible secret that would endanger her? What if she was so fool she couldn't have seen this coming?   
Alana was responsible for Abigail, too, and she felt she'd failed her. Maybe Abigail didn't tell her any of that because she didn't trust her.  
Trust.  
She needed to get it back, then.

Alana fished her phone out of her purse and dialled her patient. They talked for a minute and set an appointment for next Monday. Three days, then.

 

Will was tired of stupid questions and even more stupid people looking at his midsection. Yes, he was visibly pregnant, that was no news. He understood their awe, but they should have been used to it by now.   
Then Jack was still avoiding him and Alana was nowhere to be seen all day. Katz was apparently missing too, and Price and Zeller were on a case. Not that he missed them, but they would have been of some company.  
So he spent the day alone, moody, sore and tired. At least he was happily sore.

When he arrived home, he feed the cat and walked the dogs for an hour, throwing them tennis balls and enjoying their company. He loved them so much, and they loved them back. It was just that simple with dogs. Their bonds weren't physically there, but he felt their love anyways. 

When it was time to go back, he saw Hannibal’s car, so he waited for him outside and kissed him hard when he was at arm's length. Hannibal hummed into his mouth and his hands flew to his belly. Will smiled and placed a hand over his. 

“Let's go inside” Hannibal urged.

“I'm pretty sore for last night”

“I know, I had something in mind and dinner won't cook itself”

Will lifted an eyebrow and surrendered, stepping into the house.

“I'll sit on the couch and take notes for the book”

“You do that” Hannibal said, nodding and rummaging through the kitchen. “I'll start cooking. Just the two of us. A special occasion”

“Ooh what's that?” Will beamed. 

Hannibal looked at him from under his eyelashes, and smiled. “Just go. I'll tell you later”

“Okay, okay” Will conceded, arms up in defeat, and walked back to the couch. He opened the laptop and ogled to the kitchen's direction.

It would be hard to concentrate with his mate cooking. Aside the ingredients, it was an art he loved to see happening.

 

Two hours later, and half an hour of his stomach grumbling angrily, Hannibal called him out, and Will almost jumped off the couch.  
Hannibal had set the big table... but there was only one dish. Will frowned and looked back at Hannibal. 

“I don't get it”

“It's your dinner” Hannibal explained. “Mine... will come later”

“Okay” Will said, and sat in front of him. Will noted he'd changed into formal clothes.

“Don't worry” Hannibal said before he could point it out. “Soon you won't need any clothes to match with my style for tonight, so just enjoy your food”

And so Will just sat there. He shrugged and started to eat.  
After a few minutes he noticed Hannibal was still in front of him, hands resting over the table, eyes never leaving his face. His mouth.  
This was a game. 

Will hid his smile and took a bite of a piece of meat and gravy slipping in thick drops. He opened his mouth and took out his tongue, just the tip, to collect a drop from falling. Not breaking eye contact, he continued like this until there was nothing left. By that time, his mate had clenched his jaw hard and gripped a napkin in a fist. A corner of his mouth curved up and he sat back.

“Well?” Will asked, defying his mate.

“I thought” Hannibal started, but had to clear his throat. “I thought you'd just enjoy your meal, but you had to torture me. My... dinner won't go as smooth as yours, I can assure you”

Will just laughed, a throaty, deep laugh, and waited. Hannibal stood up and walked into the kitchen. A few seconds later he came back with a big, white dish and placed it on the end of the table. He took Will's empty dish and cup to the kitchen and when he came back, he squeezed Will's shoulder.

“Stand up and take off your clothes” he ordered. 

Will looked back, surprised and obeyed. He stood up and, in front of him, he started to slowly disrobe. He let the clothes fall carelessly to the floor but when he reached down to open his jeans -soon to be discarded to the deepest place of the closet-, Will looked up with his best innocent eyes, and asked for help.

“So I don't trip and fall, you know” he explained.

Hannibal just lifted an eyebrow and knelt, helping Will out of the rest of his clothes. He was half hard but Hannibal ignored him. His punishment had just began.

“Over the table. On your back, please”

Will cocked his head to the side but sat on the table, pulled his legs up and lay on his back, arms resting by his sides. Looking down, he could see his distended belly. It looked bigger... he was blushing and he only noticed after looking back at Hannibal, but he only had eyes for his midsection.

“That's embarrassing” he protested.

Hannibal just smiled and took a knife and fork, slightly bending to pick some food and, carefully, taking a bite. 

“Are you just gonna eat on your feet making me feel exposed?”

“Yes” Hannibal answered, taking another bite, the dish on one hand and the fork in the other. He started to move around the table, taking his time chewing, swallowing and drinking wine.

Will just tried to relax, but it was so confusing and he felt really exposed...   
And then Hannibal was on the far end of the table, and he was staring at his legs. He placed the food down and parted his legs, a firm grip on his ankles. Will held his breath and closed his eyes. He let Hannibal watch. Until he felt a hot liquid at the base of his cock that startled him. He gasped but soon there was a hand on his chest that kept him still. 

“What are you- hmmm” as he protested, Hannibal bent down and started to lick clean the gravy he let fall over him. He felt himself harden, too overwhelmed with his mate's tongue and the hot gravy. 

And then everything stopped.

“I'll keep going, Will, don't worry” Hannibal assured him.

Will groaned and banged his head against the table. He opened his eyes but even the light bothered him now. Hannibal was nowhere to be seen. But he felt his presence, and then his fingertips grazing lightly at his cheeks and into his hair. Will loved when he touched his hair and he found himself relax. 

“Will, let your head hang from the edge. I'll hold you”

Will just obeyed and moved up enough to let his head fall into his hands. 

“Now I'm letting you go. Tell me if you're too uncomfortable” Will felt light-headed but not uncomfortable and he let him know. “Good. Please wait”

He opened his eyes and saw that he was facing Hannibal’s crotch and he gasped. Hannibal chuckled and lowered his trousers enough to pull out his cock. Will's lips parted instantly, tongue darting out to slick them. He heard Hannibal breathing fast but he didn't waste one more second. 

“Don't suck. Don't lick. Just relax your throat and let me...”

“Have your way with me?” Will finished.

“Precisely” 

Will felt his cock enter, slowly, inch by inch, into his mouth and throat. Will just breathed, exhaled and kept his hands by his sides. He felt the heaviness of his cock into his mouth, his throat sensitive after a few minutes. His arms went up, almost by their own accord, and held onto Hannibal’s hips. That made him go faster, until he heard him grunt, moan and come deep into his throat. It burned.

“Swallow when I pulled out”

He waited patiently until Hannibal had finished to swallow hard. It hurt and he felt dizzy. Hannibal helped him to move back how he was before and he saw his mate undressing.

“You're not fucking me on the table” Will warned him, his voice hoarse.

“I think I already did”

Will was for another comment when he felt two fingers probing at his entrance. He'd been so distracted he didn't even realize he was wet. Apparently, very much, because those two fingers were so deep inside he could feel his prostate swelling up. And then Hannibal’s hot mouth sucked at the tip and, after only two very embarrassing minutes, he was coming inside his mouth and tightening around three fingers.   
After what I seemed an eternity, Hannibal was cleaning him up with a hot damp cloth that did wonders in his sore places. After he was clean and dry, Hannibal kissed his belly and helped him jump off the table. He took their clothes and walked them into their bedroom. They lay in bed, on their sides, face to face.  
His belly was starting to really get in the way but none of them seemed to notice. 

“Almost six months” Hannibal mused.

“Has it been long for you?”

“Too short. We need to find a name. And tomorrow I'm calling Dr. Decroix for an appointment”

Will nodded but settled down to sleep. He didn't want to think about it. This was perfect. Just them, in bed, their baby in the middle.  
No bad memories, no lonely kids, no responsibilities, no dark souls.  
Little they knew, in their sleep, the danger their family was going to face, with love, from Italy.

 

Now he was complete. He could do what the Dragon said. He could start his change now...  
His back was still red, and it hurt, but it had to. He wasn't afraid of pain. People should be afraid of him, because he was beginning to see himself as him. The Dragon was finally so close he could reach back and touch him... But he didn't. He wasn't powerful enough to touch him.

“GIVE ME”

He screamed. He hated when the Dragon scream, but he should never show his weakness.

“GIVE ME. GIVE.ME. GIVE ME!”

“What?”

“THEM. I WANT THEM”

Francis -stupid, human name- turned around. His black eyes, cloudy, searched in the room what the Dragon would want.

“THEM. I WANT THEM!”

He saw it. 

For the past three years he'd been working for Freddie Lounds, the bitch from TattleCrime. She always wanted illegal surveillance cameras and microphones, and lately, he'd been infiltrating into some buildings, owned by suspicious angels. Or so she said. And he was good at it. No one looked at him twice. He was good.

“ALL OF THEM”

His head hurt.

“How?” he asked the Dragon.

“THINK. I WANT THEM. YOU THINK. THEM! I WANT THEM!”

“You want angels”

“FILTHY SCUM”

“They don't deserve to live... I hate angels...” he could feel the Dragon excited, and he was aroused. He loved when the Dragon talked. “I'll give you angels. I won't touch demons, we're the only ones left from your race, my lord”

“FILTHY! FILTHY!”

“Now I need to find angels... happy, ugly families...” he smiled, his sharp teeth no longer a threat to his scarred lips.

“THEIR BLOOD”

“Good?”

“TASTES LIKE GOD. I AM THE DRAGON. I AM BETTER”

“Yes!” he gasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys enjoy?


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- Will's paternity leave is compromised by a very angry Dragon.  
> \- Abigail gets a date??????????  
> \- Bath-sex, as requested  
> \- Some feels  
> \- And that's probably it¿?¿?¿?

It was only a matter of time, said Crawford to himself, that the FBI was needed. The case was one of the most violent crimes he'd seen, Chesapeake Ripper included.  
Birmingham, Alabama. A family of four angel members, all of them brutally murdered. The two Omegas, the mother and the older son, raped and tortured. Jack prayed they weren't facing another psychopath like Chris Dale.   
The police worked for three days and got nothing, until they realized they needed them. And Jack also prayed it wasn't too late. He could sense a serial killer at once. This was so obvious...

He phoned Price, Keller, Bloom and Katz. He needed her, too. He couldn't spare any of them. 

Jack sighed and touched the screen of his phone, finger hovering over Will Graham. He put the phone back into his pocket and took the file of the Jacobi family. They were all angels and had been on Earth for three centuries, first in Europe, then here. They were one of the ancient families of angels that walked the Earth and loved it. Then the Earth exchanged that love for death.

The photographs were the worst. A psychopath. He hoped Alana could catch this monster, or he should ask Will Graham...

 

He hadn't slept for four days. He was still so excited, so overjoyed, that he could only watch over and over again the recordings. The mother crying, screaming. Her mate choking on his own blood. The kids tied up behind the door. She'd tried to escape, biting, kicking. No use. The Dragon gave him strength, and he overpowered her.   
When he finished with her, transformed her, he quickly killed the daughter and brought the young Omega. He went numb when he saw his mother; dead, changed. Weak angels. Weaker Omegas.   
The boy was a delight, but he killed him slowly, and chose his blood, so he let the kid bleed over him. He bathed in his blood. He walked naked through the house, entered the backyard and looked up. The bright moon showed him how beautiful the blood was at night. Black, thick, divine. He could feel the life until it went cold and sticky, then he put on his clothes, took the camera, and left the dead angels to rot.

Three days after, he couldn't stop watching it, reliving the moment. The Dragon had stopped screaming and he felt free. He couldn't wait for the next moon, but the Dragon would punish him if he contradicted Him. Only sacred nights, the Dragon said. Full moon. 

 

It was almost dawn. It was cold outside, cloudy and quiet. Hannibal loved these days. The beauty of a dark, gray sky from dawn, until night.   
He put on a robe and sat up, turned his head to a side and just stared at Will. He started sleeping like a human, every night for eight hours, more or less, since last week. Pregnancies were hard, and it left Omega angels, male and female alike, exhausted. So they kept energy sleeping. And Will looked so peacefully happy in his sleep he couldn't help it. He woke up early and just stared. His mate was beautiful, and his soul, so bright and full of life, told him his own poison hadn't reached Will's core yet.

He guided his hand to Will's messy curls and sank his fingers in them, massaging in little circles. Will hummed but his breathing was the same.   
Hannibal wanted to take a look at his belly, so he slid away the thin sheet that covered his body and discovered Will's naked body. His belly looked so full, and he knew it would only grow bigger. Six months and a half and he couldn't hide it anymore even if they wanted. Why would they, anyway? Will pregnant was a joyful event, and they both loved their baby already.

Hannibal reached out and felt the warmth of his belly, their baby already awake. He was kicking and moving all around. He could see a tiny bump that could perfectly be a foot or a hand. They had a strong baby.  
He was only worried because of his own nature. He couldn't imagine how he'll look. Being a double Nephilim, and his mate a pure angel... 

Will stirred, turned around and went back to sleep. He seemed tired but content. He finally asked for a paternity leave and two weeks of rest had done wonders to him. He ate properly -even if it was human meat-, rested as much as he wanted, and received only a reasonable amount of work.  
Abigail stayed home when Hannibal left to work and he knew Will was safe with her. Not that Will needed any protection, but with a baby... he just wanted to be sure.

Hannibal covered him up again and went to take a black, thin box from the closet. It was well hidden and covered in clothes. He opened it and grazed his fingers over the leather. It was the collar he bought for Will, months ago. It wasn't the time to give it to his mate, but the wait was worth it.

Back to bed, Hannibal snuggled up behind Will and threw his arm over his waist, hand resting on his heart. He could smell Will's neck, his scent arousing him. Pregnant, Will smelled like the day before he went in Heat, and he would smell that way until birth. Back to Earth, his smell will change to something different. Not back to normal, no. That will wait until their son gets older.  
For now, he just smelled his neck, his hair... and fill his lungs with his scent. Will was intoxicating.

“I'm not going anywhere” Will said. Hannibal chuckled and kissed him behind his ear.

“Just checking you're with me all time”

Will turned around, hand holding his belly, and threw a leg over his, getting them closer. 

“Our son is on the way” Will remarked.

“It's not that bad, is it?” Hannibal asked, whispering. Will shook his head, his hand travelled up and and down his side.

“Any plans for today?”

“I'm not working today, so I'm all yours” he explained, a smile on his face. 

Will's eyes opened in excitement and pressed his lips hard against his. Wasting no time, Hannibal pushed his tongue inside and caressed his mate's tongue. He felt his hardness pressing against his hipbone and he changed the angle to show Will how aroused he was, too. Will gasped, shuddering in anticipation and bit down, hard, on his bottom lip. Hannibal tasted blood but before he could lick it off, Will sucked and Hannibal moaned.

“I'm not gonna last” Will told him, desperate for more friction but quite happy with what he had.

“You'll have to” Hannibal answered, a tint of guilt in his voice.

Then he pulled back, Will trying to follow but being stopped.

“What the fuck?”

“Watch your language” Hannibal warned, not very convincing.

“Shut up, I want you to fuck me”

So tempting... but no. Hannibal shook his head and jumped out of bed, Will's wrist in hand. Will groaned but, smiling, followed him to the bathroom. Hannibal sat him in the toilet and turned to let the water fill the bathtub. Then he went out and into the kitchen, where he had to zigzag between the kittens, the little explorers. He took bagels he baked last night, strawberry jam and orange juice, placed them in a tray and went back to the bathroom. When he looked up he saw Will standing in front of the bathtub, tying a robe over the belly.

“Take it off” he commanded. Will turned around but didn't meet his eyes. “Why do you hesitate, Will?”

He seemed... shy. Then it hit him: another mood swing. Hannibal had fought angels, nephilim, demons... yet, Will's mood swings were terrifying.

“Will?” he asked, swallowing.

“Why do you even ask?” Will threw his arms at his sides and slumped back in the toilet, looking down at his feet. “I don't care anymore, okay? You say I'm beautiful, which is stupid because I'm already too fat to even fuck properly or-”

“Will, stop” Hannibal set the tray in a corner of the bathtub and knelt in front of Will. At least he knew what to do in these moments. “Look at me, Will” he asked, lifting his chin with one finger.

“I'm looking” he grunted.

“You're big, because you're pregnant. Even if you weren't pregnant, I'd still love to look at you while you're sleeping, watch you any second I can lay my eyes on you. You're belly gets in the way, but it's the contrary of a problem, do you understand?”

Will, blushing and still trying to avoid his eyes, nodded.

“I don't even know why I said that” he admitted. 

“Because your brain is suffering the worst part” he explained with a thin smile.

Will bit his lip, untied the robe and let it fall to the floor. All naked again, Hannibal stood up and placed the tray over Will's knees.

“Now eat. It'll last more than ten minutes to fill, so eat slowly”

Will devoured the bagel in less than two minutes and had Hannibal to bring him another two, just in case he was still hungry. He was.  
Hannibal took a very expensive soap he bought in Florence and poured a decent amount of scented liquid into the bathtub while Will finished the third bagel.   
The soap brought memories from Florence. The whole city vibrated and all the smells of people mixed in a spiral of pure ecstasy. He loved those cities, but Florence was just... perfect. The shops, the opera, the art and his good taste were so at peace he realized how much he missed it.

“I'm taking you three to Florence” he decided.

“Wait until your son is born” Will joked.

“Get in” Hannibal said offering him his hand. Will took it, stood up and entered the warm, scented water. “Don't sit, I'm coming in, too”

Then Hannibal disrobed and did exactly that. He sat down, both pairs of wings over the edge of the bathtub, touching the floor. Will sat on his lap, back to chest. Sighing, Will leaned back and rested his head on Hannibal’s shoulder. Hannibal could feel a cool shiver where Will's ethereal wings went through his chest. It was an odd feeling. Only pregnant angels saved the ability to show or hide their wings to save energy for the baby. As their were not from this world, wings appeared almost transparent.   
Their ghostly touch felt cold in his wings, too.

“A bubble bath, then?” Will asked, closing his eyes and almost purring.

“This is how you should star your day until the baby is born. It's healthier”

“That will only spoil me”

Hannibal chuckled and lowered a hand, trailing his fingers over Will's chest. His mate hummed and wiggled his hips up to brush his backside against his cock, hardening fast.

“So eager this morning”

“Shut up and fuck me or I'll find something to just- Oh God!”

It was only his fault to have two fingers up his ass. Being rude was not acceptable. Not when Hannibal planned to make sweet love to his pregnant mate.   
Will was tight, hot and wet, and Hannibal was having a hard time containing himself.

“That's sweet” Will moaned, arching slightly his back, trying to open his legs but bumping with the walls of the bathtub. His hands gripped tight the edges and he turned his head to Hannibal’s neck, breathing into it.

Hannibal reached around with his free arm and took Will's cock in hand, slowly pumping it while fucking him with his fingers. The water was beginning to form waves.

“Can you take one more finger? Or do you want something else?”

Will only nodded, frantically. His teeth sinking into flesh, surrounded with soft lips, dragged a low throaty moan from Hannibal’s mouth. He crooked his fingers in response and tugged hard at the base of Will's erection. Will clenched and cursed, freeing his neck. 

“Oh God, Hannibal...” he begged. “Please, please, please...”

“That's much better” Hannibal praised him, replacing his fingers with his cock.

He took Will's hips and made sure Will lowered slowly, savoring the sensation of being filled.

“There...” Hannibal whispered, barely holding himself. “Feel me. Feel every vein, pulsing, almost throbbing for you”

Once Will was fully seated, he moaned and tried to bounce, pull out, move, anything. Hannibal firmly gripped his hip, and reached around his mate to thumb and scratch at his nipple. Will cried out and jumped as much as he could, being trapped as he was. He whined in frustration and gave up, understanding he would only get release being still.

“Good boy” Hannibal whispered in his ear. 

And then his hips plunged up and deeper into Will, making him gasp, hiss and throw his arms up and behind his head, forcing Hannibal into a kiss while their bodies stirred the water and some splashed onto the floor. Will was so far gone, so overstimulated with pleasure he couldn't care for the kiss and just let Hannibal fuck his open mouth and tight, enticing ass.  
Will was mumbling nonsense when he came, clenched around him and fell boneless over him. Hannibal knew the grip on his hipbone and pectoral -a very red nipple pretty much tortured- must be hurting him, but his pleasure kept his strength up, and he just couldn't let go. So he just kept sliding in and out of Will's body, fully aware of how sensitive he was now, in shallow, powerful thrusts. 

In a last display of energy, Will turned his head, eyes half closed, and put his mouth against a vein in his neck, sucking hard. Then he came, hands squeezing Will's punished skin, and a long moan escaping his mouth put an end to it all.

They both basked in the afterglow of a very needed half-rough session of exquisite sex they missed so much. The bath was merely an excuse, the water a functional way to avoid any physical discomfort Will could have suffered.

They both lay there, their chests lifting up slower every minute that passed. Hannibal held Will close, a hand over his heart, the other palming his belly, as if calming their son. He could feel him kicking, moving all around, and he couldn't help it. He smiled and laughed, making Will pinch at his leg.

“Stop” Will ordered, half asleep.

“Sorry”

“Hmm you better be. I'll be sore for days” he laughed.

Hannibal frowned. “Did I hurt you?”

“What? No!”

“Will” Hannibal warned and Will sighed.

“It was rough, but I liked it. I needed it. Stop worrying, okay?” 

Will took his hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss every fingertip. Head resting on Hannibal’s cheek, Will planted his feet on the bathtub and lifted himself up with a grunt, wincing once he settled down again, oven his lap.

“You're hurt”

“I'm sore, it's different” Will replied.

“But I-”

“You were what I told you what I needed you to be. Last night. Because I'm fucking tired of fucking on our sides. Clear?”

Hannibal decided not to reply and just enjoy having him in his arms. His wings stretched and folded.

“I miss my wings” Will mumbled.

“We should start the day” Hannibal suggested a few minutes later, when the water was getting cold enough to be uncomfortable.

“Walk the dogs, write a book of Abigail's mental state -and possibly yours, too-, and then watch TV, take a nap and eat... meat” he said, bitterly.

Hannibal sighed.

“I said I'm sorry”

Will nodded and let Hannibal help him out of the bathtub, placing a towel over the wet floor before stepping out. He dried him off, and helped him put on a robe before going out of the bathroom. Hannibal stayed behind, guilty thoughts plaguing his mind.

He could never say how sorry he was for bringing all this madness to Will's life. To make this madness his life.

When he entered their bedroom, Will was already gone. He looked outside, and saw him in a huge parka, walking the dogs. Hannibal dressed quickly and cleaned the bathroom.   
He knew, he mused, Will loved him. But he knew there was something else there, too. Maybe Will's soul was so powerful it could take and bear his sins. But he didn't ask for them. Hannibal felt he'd forced him take it all, accept it and live with it. He was a monster, yes, but different from any other. He had unconditional love, and that hurt the most.

“I love you, you know?” Will's voice, behind him, interrupted his thoughts.

Hannibal let the rubber gloves fall to the sink and stood in front of him.

“I know”

“But?” Will's eyes never left his. They stopped him from looking away.

“But I'm afraid that's not enough to give your previous life back”

Will nodded.

“In my previous life... I was so alone that I prayed to find a stray dog every night I went back home. I wished I could have had more time with my human parents, and yearned for a single memory of my mothers. Every night I looked in the mirror and asked myself if I could... feel other than an empty vessel for Crawford to fill with an ugly, perverse soul every week” at this point, Will's fists trembled at his sides. Red faced and teary eyes, he looked angry, rather than sad or self-pitying.

Hannibal honestly didn't know what to say so he just looked at him and waited.

“I know you're not a saint. But you're my mate because I loved you when I accepted you. Your soul was a mystery and I still loved you. You're evil. Well, we angels aren't exactly saints either” then Will's anger died and he frowned, in a guilty semblance. “I enjoy when I absorb the residue of those souls. I am whatever they are and I enjoy being another person for a short time because I can't think of being myself. But that changed with you. I have a different life. One where there are no secrets about our nature. We are what we are. Nothing less, nothing more”

Hannibal had to agree and went to take Will in his arms.

“I should have known, right?” Hannibal asked.

“You should. You're my mate, monster or not” Will scolded him. When he pulled them apart and said “And the next time you ruin a perfect fuck you'll sleep in the couch for a month”

 

Abigail was tired. She'd been up all night following the next of her list, luring him into a dark alley and taking him to his death. He didn't see it coming and she was a little disappointed.   
But he was gone now.

She was already finished, after hours in the basement, and then the kitchen. She saw the sun rising when she decided it was time to take a long shower. She was grateful Hannibal allowed her to use his house to relieve stress and unleash her nature.   
In one of the many conversations with her new father, he told her what she already suspected. She was either a psychopath or a sociopath. She couldn't care less. She had to survive, and denying it would lead her straight to madness. 

Once clean, she took a nap in the big, comfortable coach, until noon. Then she ate and went to her favorite bookstore in taxi. 

The bookstore was old, and had older books. It was the perfect place to lose herself for an hour or so after a rough night. She'd found this place thanks to Hannibal, and she loved it. It was quiet, it smelled of old leather and some dust. 

She touched the back of a book while she rounded a corner and missed the man in front of her. Her cheek collided with a wall of muscle and Alpha scent. A scent she remembered.  
Abigail started to apologize, looking up, to a confused young man.

“I'm so sorry” they both said.

“Oh God, I was so distracted I didn't even see you” he said.

“Well, it's not that easy to see me” she said, laughing, hand flat over her head.

The guy smiled and nodded, then stepped aside. “The corridor is yours” he offered.

She frowned and tilted her head.

“You're... not from here”

“Nope, I'm Irish” he extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you, I'm Walt”

Abigail bit her lip and shook his hand. Of course she remembered his scent. This was the man in the black van of the other day. He was following her. A game like this can be for two, too.

“I'm Abigail H-...Lecter” 

“Nice to meet you”

“You already said that” she mumbled, laughing.

“True” he looked around, nervous. “Well, I'll let you to your... shopping and bumping into strangers”

They both laughed.

“So... you look new in town” she observed. “Do you live here, now?”

“Uhm... kind of. I have a new job here, so yeah. I'm new. Baltimore is... nice”

“Well, I'm pretty new, too. I wanted to take you out and see the place but I'd be lost within the hour, so... ” she took a notebook and a pen from her backpack. “Why don't you call me someday... and get lost together? It could be fun!” she handed her phone number and left the poor guy astonished. 

She left the bookstore and walked down the street until she saw a taxi. She was used to being nice to people. Mostly girls that looked like her, but the strategy was the same. She wanted to know who this man was and why he followed her that night and, possibly, to her favorite bookstore.   
Since that night, she visited the store three more times. It couldn't be a coincidence. 

She came home before nightfall. Her new parents were having dinner already but waited for her to finish before going out into the forest for a walk with the dogs. Will looked amazing. He was happy, well rested and in a good humor.

 

Will woke from a dreamless sleep. Hannibal wasn't there with him. He hated those mornings, but understood he also had a job. At least breakfast was on the table.  
He opened the door for the dogs but remained inside, taking care of the litter of mewling kittens and their hungry mother.   
He decided he wanted to hear someone and turned on the TV but regretted it immediately.   
There were pictures of a bedroom with so much blood it made him feel dizzy. Five days without a suspect and they were still investigating.   
A shiver ran down his spine and recognized the lump in his throat. This meant trouble and a dose of painful headaches.

The blood was everywhere and he could swear it was inviting him. See this. Feel me. Try to catch me. See who's more clever.

The phone rang and he knew who it was after two seconds.

Two hours later he was drinking hot chocolate -Hannibal forbid coffee- in Crawford's office. They were alone and the atmosphere was tense.

“You've heard the news, then”

“This morning” Will nodded.

“What do you know?” Jack leaned back and stared at him.

Will sighed and stroked his belly distractingly. 

“Four people dead. A whole family. Mum, dad and kids. Mother and son raped, then tortured. It's been five days and they have literally nothing”

“I know a few more things” Jack said. “They were all angels. The Jacobi, you might know them. They owned a good part of Europe's Renaissance paintings for the last century. The Mother and her son, Omegas. Both raped and... this is not pleasant, either, their eyes were punctured with a piece of a broken mirror”

Will grimaced and set his jaw. “What else?”

“There are bloody footprints from bedroom to backyard. The bastard probably had a good time out there before leaving. We have his DNA from semen and hair. He's a demon male, Beta, which is disconcerting. Light-haired, probably over eighty which gives us nothing about his appearance”

Will nodded and stood up. “I want to come back. You need me”

“I was going to ask if you're sure about this. You're pregnant and I don't-”

“I'm fine. I can do what no one else does. He'll kill again”

“How do you know that?” Crawford lifted an eyebrow. He seemed rather amused.

“I recognize a serial killer. It's pretty obvious, Jack, trust me. Another family is going to die if we don't act fast”

“Of course, Will. We're leaving tomorrow to Birmingham. I called yesterday and told them not to touch anything until we arrived”

Will frowned and leaned over the table. “You knew I would say yes”

“I know you for more than thirty years, Will. Of course I knew”

 

Hannibal didn't accept it that easily. Abigail just looked at them and sat there, thoughtful.

“It's my choice, Hannibal”

“You promised me and Dr. Decroix you would rest for the next months”

“I wasn't counting of a serial killer ruining my paternity leave” he said, mockingly.

“I'm leaving tomorrow morning and I don't want to spend this last night fighting over something I've already decided”

Hannibal set his jaw hard, clearly lost, and looked for Abigail's support.

“I'm sorry but he's right” she said.

“Thank you”

“What do you mean?” Hannibal inquired.

“Dad, that's what he does, okay? He's incredibly good at it, and I support his decision. he'll come back soon, with another criminal in jail thanks to him. What's the matter?”

“The matter is that he's pregnant and when he works, his gift drains him. It's tiring and it goes straight to his head. A healthy body is not enough is his mind is ill, Abigail” he tried to explain. Will rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

“I'm perfectly fine. Besides, Alana is coming with us, so I'll be on her watch”

That seemed to reassure Hannibal.

“What about your diet?” Abigail asked.

Will's mouth opened but anything came out of it. He had forgotten about it.

“I'm coming with you, then” Hannibal stated, but Will was already shaking his head.

“No, no. you have work to do and Abigail can't be alone and-”

“I can protect myself” she protested.

“And I can protect you, Will. I trust Alana but there are things she can never know of”

Will sighed in defeat and pressed the heel of his hands to his eyes.

“Very well. Abigail stays and waits for us. But Hannibal” he said, “you'll have to come the next day. He haven't booked any ticket so that's up to you” Hannibal nodded.

“Then it's settled” Hannibal said, satisfied. “We're going for a hunt” he joked, looking back at Abigail.

“You couple of psychos...” Will mumbled, leaving the table.

 

The mercenary walked back and forth the little room, phone in hand.

He was confused. Abigail Hobbs... no, Abigail Lecter flirted with him. A psychopath. A target. He couldn't do this. He couldn't get involved or know intimately his targets, but... that could help him gather information about the good doctor and his perfect mate.

This was getting NOT like he planned.

The life of a mercenary was the opposite of easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've changed the way Will gets into the Red Dragon's case but hey, it's fanfic and I only own my ideas, not Thomas Harris'
> 
> Soooooooooooooo did you like it?
> 
> Any request? You know you're free to ask :D


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a little different from the others but I needed to write this.

For two weeks, the lives of the FBI Agents sent to Birmingham were just chaotic. From the beginning of their investigation, Jack wasn't happy, at all. He did not approve Hannibal coming with them, because that would only distract Will of his duty. He knew he needed his mate while pregnant, but this case was important. Anyways, Will just refused to stay if Hannibal left, because not only he helped him cope with all those nasty feelings he knew he would get from the murderer, but also Hannibal wanted to help them. So, Crawford just let them be.  
Alana wasn't there to comfort Katz Beverly. Katz was relieved, though. She knew Alana would actually distract her. She loved her, but she wasn't as good as Will with all this. She needed time and focus on the case. Price and Zeller were more than enough to fulfill her needs of socialization. Too much, actually.

Will and Hannibal were booked in the same hotel as everyone else. The only exception, they had a bigger bed. Will spent the rest of the evening and late night studying the files, news and pictures of the brutal scene. Had not Hannibal told him to eat and rest, Will would've forgotten.   
The food was an issue Hannibal soon corrected. He brought Will's special diet with him, packed and well conserved. It would last for a week. Later, they would see.

The first day wasn't all that good. Will needed his time inside the house. Alone, and in silence. The moment he stepped in the great house, he felt it. The cruelty those walls still held after five days was massive. Only a monster could accomplish such brutality. And he wasn't sure he wanted to meet him.  
He felt a bare soul, nothing to hide, so much to fear. That shocked him. Usually these monsters were very careful not to show what they are, to just strike and go back to their caves. This one was so proud yet so scared.   
He was dealing with a tortured man. It was a demon, but something else leaked from his black soul. It was pure evil.   
Then Will opened the door and looked into the master bedroom. His legs almost failed to hold him and he had to lean on the door frame. He could almost hear them scream, and he felt them die. Four innocent souls screaming all at once brought him down to his knees, panting. 

“I-I can't” he whispered, shaking, holding his rounded belly.

Then two hands took him downstairs and outside. He just inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and grasped Hannibal’s vest and shirt. 

“Don't let them in, yet” he heard his mate's voice, commanding Jack to wait. “Leave us some privacy, please. He's overwhelmed”

Then he felt Hannibal’s soul touching his, reassuring him and bringing him back. All the other souls left him and his mind was clear again. The sun was still high and warm. Will looked up and saw Hannibal’s face.

“Where are we?”

“In the porch outside. I told them to leave until you're ready” there was no pity or disappointment in his eyes. “If you're ready. You don't have to do this, Will”

“I have to!” he protested, and stood up. He realized he'd been curled up in Hannibal’s lap and blushed.

“It's dangerous”

“No. It isn't. It's overwhelming but not anymore. I can handle this” they looked at each other. “I can! Tell them to come back, I'll be inside”

“And the baby?” Hannibal cocked his head and lifted an eyebrow.

“The baby is fine” then he turned and walked inside again.

This couldn't happen again, Will repeated to himself over and over until he was back in front of that door. He breathed in and out a couple of times, closed his eyes and pushed. The room screamed again, and he shut off all the voices except for one. The only one that wasn't screaming, the most powerful of them all. It was calm, satisfied and content, and at the same time, excited. It was puzzling. It felt like two souls in one time and space, yet he couldn't recognize any case he'd worked on that might be like this.   
It felt like being hungry for days and finally having a buffet. 

Will sighed and changed soul. The little girl's soul was the weakest, but hurt the same as the others. Confusion, fear and pain until nothing was left for her. Connected to hers, the mother's soul screamed in pain so loud Will covered his ears, but it wasn't hurting his ears. The pain of a mother, and the rage of the father were too much and he almost collapsed again. Until the father's souls almost disappeared. Will felt the violation of the mother and son deep into his heart. It was tiring and he would've passed out if it weren't for his mate's soul, behind the door. It held him and helped him bear all that pain. 

Then he opened his eyes and basked in the joy and excitement of the dark soul. The bastard made him feel just like him.

Will blinked and looked around. 

“Come in” he said, and Hannibal appeared by his side in two seconds.

“Are you okay?” 

Will stared at the bloody bedclothes and frowned. He shook his head and walked around the room.

A few minutes later they both left the house and Will Graham, Special Agent of the FBI, reported what he'd felt and seen: the mirrors, the bloodstains, the gore... and made two young agents throw up in a container nearby. Katz just patted his shoulder and followed Crawford and the team, to finish the job.

Hannibal and Will went back to the hotel room and Will just sat in a chair, staring at nothing, saying nothing, until dinner.

Two days later Will came up with the idea of trying to find a print in the mother and son's eyes. 

“Why?” asked Crawford.

“Because that bastard wanted to touch them with his bare hands, that's why. You won't find anything else but a fingerprint in their eyes”

And Katz found a partial fingerprint on the left eye of the boy. It was a middle finger, half of it, but it was already working on the scanner. She was so tired from work she didn't even call Alana for four days straight.   
Zeller and Price had a massive rant on the borrowed lab and they barely talked to each other for a week. In the end, Jack had to visit them and made them stop fighting “like two fucking kids”. They stopped and Jack focused on the three new witnesses of the neighborhood. Both of them saw a black van, but the old woman did see a tall man with sunglasses and a hat, which was odd because it was close to midnight. 

Two miserable weeks that went easier for Will with Hannibal by his side. He didn't want to admit it, but he was so grateful that Hannibal decided to come with him, that he demanded Crawford let him stay for the rest of the investigation, and to accompany him. Jack didn't like it but had to accede or else Will wouldn't go. He felt safe and wanted his mate for physical and mental support.

 

On the other side, in Baltimore, Abigail was more than happy to stay alone for a few weeks. The dogs and kittens were a good company and she loved the silence. No more earphones when Hannibal and Will chose to crush her innocence.   
She missed them, of course, but Hannibal kept her up on everything. She found exciting what they were doing. In fact, she would've loved to help, but she had to wait until she could join the FBI Academy. Soon. 

So she kept studying for the tests that would come, the subjects she would study, the physical training that she was already learning from Will and Hannibal. Abigail also hunted and did her... less moral duties.   
In between, she tried to be a more normal teenager angel -almost eighteen now- but that didn't go well. Going out an meeting people without a purpose seemed pointless and she wasn't up to wasting time. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt better with a goal. With her father, Garret Jacob Hobbs, she had one mission: find a target, seduce, being a friendship, mark and go. That was it. Her father did the nasty, awful job. She didn't like it but it was her way to survive. Then her new father, Hannibal, found her new missions. Rude, terrible people were now on her list and she was getting better.  
On the other hand, the FBI project was for her future.

She found herself, one day after a week alone, longing for a call from the Irish guy. It wasn't some foolish crush. She wanted to know why he was following her. In that week, she spotted the van twice and she was getting tired of it. That Walt should better call her soon or she would have to ask Freddie Lounds for another favor.   
The next day, Walt the Irish angel called. They would meet in two days in a Starbucks near the bookstore. She'd take Winston and Suzie with her, just in case. 

The date went smooth and she was nervous when he asked about her family. His dark, brown eyes smiled in a way she didn't like. Also, Winston whined when he crouched down to pet him and Suzie put her tail between her legs. Abigail knew something wasn't right.  
But the date was nice. It felt good not to see a person and knowing they'd be dead in two days.   
There was something familiar in his manner, something that seemed... curious, yet amusing. Like playing hide and seek. You knew the rules, but not the moves of the other player.

Then, when she walked away with the dogs, it hit her. He behaved like her. The same way. He was dangerous and he knew it. He had to push away his knowledge and past experiences to look... normal. Maybe he was a serial killer and Abigail was his target. 

Maybe she should call Hannibal and Will to get this done.

Or maybe... she could deal with it by herself.

 

Two weeks after leaving, Alana was no longer mad at Katz. She was hurt, but not angry. She just wanted to prove Abigail's innocence. She wanted to clean her name. After all, she was finally with a loving family. 

They had an appointment for that night and Alana was making dinner. Abigail arrived with her promised kitten and they let her roam free in the living room while they ate.  
Abigail chatted happily. 

“So, how did you meet them?” Abigail asked, chewing.

“Hannibal and Will?” Abigail nodded. “Well...” Alana touched lightly the edge of the glass, thinking. “Will is the son of my best friend. Anna, was her name. She was a mated to Evel, an Omega angel she met long ago. They were mated soon after they met. They were so in love... they both died right after having Will” she said, her voice low and distant. “You look like Evel, though Will doesn't know”

Abigail blinked a couple of times before nodding.

“They fought a civil war, back in Heaven. It's kind of Top Secret, but you're half angel, so that makes you worthy of the knowledge” she chuckled. “They were friends to a married couple of humans. They couldn't have children so when they died, I made sure Will was sent to them. He could raise him with love”

“That's... sad, actually”

“It is. I've been Will's aunt until he grew up and I became his friend”

“And Hannibal?”

“Well, he was my mentor in College. We became friends soon after”

“He's a good man” Abigail added.

“Yep! And he loves you very much. And Will. Oh God, I've never seen him this happy since Clarice”

“I know the story. Well, part of it”

“That you should ask him” she pointed a finger at her, laughing. “Well, help me with the dishes and then we can start our session, shall we?”

 

They were both sitting on the couch, the kitten on Alana's lap, after cleaning up.

“How's your life with your new family?”

“We're all happily bonded” Abigail answered. 

“Do you have nightmares?”

“Sometimes I wake up to the sound of my father's voice, calling me. But there's no one in my room and I can't sleep until the next night. But no nightmares”

Alana nodded and wrote it down.

“What are your plans for your future? Do you have any?”

“Yes, I still want to apply for the FBI Academy”

“That's great, but you know you must be completely clean for that. And I mean, crystal clear, Abigail”

Abigail frowned and tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“You've been through Hell, Abigail. We- I must be sure, one hundred percent sure, that you're stable for the program”

“I'm not crazy”

Alana's expression softened and added a little smile.

“I know, dear. But sometimes our minds close so bad memories don't hurt us. Those memories aren't gone, just dormant. When they come back your sanity is a stake. Believe me, I've seen strong Agents fall from bad experiences”

“I didn't go through a bad experience, doctor Bloom. I survived a death sentence and I'm grateful it was only that”

Alana didn't agree on the “only that” part but let it go.

“You don't remember anything else? Sometimes memories work like that. Little drops or pieces that can help us see the whole picture”

Abigail squeezed her wrists but shook her head.

That was her defensive pose and Alana knew she wouldn't get anything else tonight.

“Okay, we're done now. Let me take you home”

 

Abigail let her wings surround her, acting like a cocoon. It kept her warm and made her feel protected. She knew something wrong would happen if Alana got into her mind too much, too deep.  
That night she had a dreamless sleep but she woke up shivering, and Winston on her feet.

That evening she called Walt, they met in the same Starbucks -no dogs this time- and he drove her home. In the black van.

“Do you want to come in?” she didn't know why, but she asked him before opening the door.

Walt hesitated but shrugged and followed her in. The dogs were a surprise but he didn't seem surprised she was alone. He was definitely watching her. And she was tired. 

He was sitting on the couch, waiting for her to come back from the kitchen, with a sandwich. She felt out of place, her mind a mess. Everything screamed danger and she was not gonna do anything about it? This man came into her life, threatening her freedom, or even her life, and she was going to stand back and let him? Oh no. He would not.

Abigail called the dogs and let them out. She closed the door.

“Why did you do that?”

“They need their time, you know?” she chirped, chuckling to herself, going back to the kitchen.

She would never forgive herself if Will's dogs got hurt because of her.

Abigail knelt in front of the sink, opened the cabinet and took a light, nine-inch knife. It was lithe, thin and of the right weight. She slipped it on her boot, stood up and turned around. She met a flannel shirt.

“You scared me!” she yelped, a hand ever her heart, laughing nervously.

He didn't seemed amused.

“Are you sure you want to try 'that'?”

Her smile faded and she pushed him hard with both hands. Her wings appeared, out of desperation, when she turned around. He was still on the counter when she crouched to get the knife. He was faster than she imagined, though, and knocked the air out of her lungs with his arm. They both fell hard on the floor and she held the knife up, ready to slice his back or at least, shoulder. His wings flapped and the knife flew out of reach. She snarled and kicked him in the stomach with her knee. He gasped but held her shoulders down to the floor. Her wings in between.

He was smiling.

“Are you going to stop? I don't want to kill you” he said.

“Go to Hell, asshole!”

“Language!” he scolded.

“Just kill me already” she looked aside, the knife on her sight.

“Uh-uh... I don't think so”

“What? Did you expect a bigger fight? Did I disappoint you?”

He sighed, like he was talking to a little kid. Their eyes met and she was convinced she was some true in them.

“I'm not here for you”

“What-”

“Shut up and listen. I'm going to let you go now. I promise I won't hurt you if you stay quiet and don't move”

“Why would I-”

“Dear God, do I have to gag your pretty mouth?”

She scowled and blushed, looking away. He laughed.

“That's better”

Just when he was kneeling to her side, she pushed him away -again- with both feet and crawled as fast as she could to get the knife back. She turned around, when her fingers touched the cold metal and he stopped, armed up, two feet from her.

“That was close” she panted.

“Abigail, put the knife down. I'm not-”

“You're not here to hurt me, sure. That's why you've been a creep for weeks in that stupid van”

“It's a nice van!” he whined.

“What do you want from me?”

“It's not you, it's your dear daddy who's in trouble”

“Whatever he did in the past, it died with him”

He shook his head and smiled. He looked like a hungry wolf. A wicked, cute wolf... Damn.

“Not your previous daddy. Doctor Lecter”

She frowned, mouth hanging.

“What?!”

“I'm here to study him, to learn from him and kill him”

“It's not very smart to say what you want to do with my father when I'm the one holding the knife”

He nodded, turned around and went back to the living room. She frowned but cautiously followed him. He sat back on the couch and patted the free seat. She stood in front of him.

“Okay, whatever” he shrugged. “I'm a mercenary. A hit-man or however you want to call me”

“You're an asshole. And whoever hired you is going to die, so why don't you go back to them and tell them?”

“You see, I cannot do that” he shrugged again, with a smug smile on his face. “I always get the job done”

“You won't, this time. I don't know how stupid you are to try to kill my father. He's more dangerous than you could ever imagine and I'm not defenseless. My other father is an FBI Agent and your ass will be one of the most wanted with one word”

“That turned me on” he confessed.

Abigail took a cushion and threw it at his head.

“What? You smell all Omega-y when you're angry”

“Shut up!” she blushed. “Now, what am I going to do with you? I could call Hannibal and he'd be here in less than four hours”

“Then what?”

“You don't want to know” she hissed.

“Oh but I do!” he sang. She was getting tired of that, too. “The ones who hired me know him better than you know. Your dear daddy's left a huge hole in the heart of a lonely, angry widow and she wants revenge. The other is an old friend of yours, too. He says you're fierce” she stared at him and set her jaw, hard. “That was a compliment”

“Could you please stop flirting with me? I'm threatening you with a knife!”

Two dogs barked outside and she jumped, startled. Then a firm grip on her wrists made her scream and she lost the knife, again. She was thrown down on the couch and Walt crushed her with his whole body.

“Now you're going to kill me?”

He groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Why are you so obsessed with that?”

“Because you're on top of me”

“And you think I want to kill you when there are other things we could do” he winked.

“What makes you think I want...”

“You're not moving, your hormones levels are so high I feel dizzy and...”

His mouth was so close to hers she could breathe his air. They held each others gaze and she couldn't close her mouth.

“And?” she whispered.

“And you're holding my hips”

 

Will was so drained he just gave up the moment the bed was close enough. All dressed, he curled up and closed his eyes. That day had been way too long for him. Jack, Hannibal and himself had been following a false evidence all day. No results, and Jack pissed off. 

 

Hannibal waited until the doors of the elevator were closed. Then he turned around and stepped in front of Jack Crawford. He looked close to kill someone.

“This has to stop” Hannibal said. “For Will, for our son. You're asking too much, Jack”

“He knows his job!” Jack snapped. “We need to find him”

“He's tired. And this case isn't like the others and you know it. We're looking for someone more dangerous than Dale or Hobbs. And Will is consumed. He feels so tired he can't even think sometimes. He just repeats the scene over and over again, even in his sleep”

“We need to find that man” he repeated.

Hannibal swallowed, tried to stay as calm as he could, and let the air out, slowly.

“I'm here to assist Will. To take care of him. The moment I decide enough is enough, I'm taking him home, for his sake and the baby's” Before Jack could say anything, Hannibal held a hand up, to stop him. “Not only he's physically exhausted. His mind doesn't let him rest, and his special gift can confuse him. I won't let him near that monster again”

“It is his job to help us catch that murderer” Jack hissed, hands into fists by his sides.

“Be careful, Mr. Crawford. I'm not a good enemy for those who threaten my family”

Then he turned around and took the stairs. He let Jack think it through before telling Will anything of this. He didn't need another problem in his life.  
Hannibal was strangely upset about Will's situation. He knew Will wouldn't stop until that man was in jail, but not at any cost and the limit was close. If needed, Hannibal himself would interfere and catch the murderer.

When he opened the door, he expected Will on the shower, but found him deeply asleep. His wings, still tenuous and almost invisible in the dark, were around him. Hannibal frowned at his form, realizing he was still clothed. He hadn't the heart to wake him up to undress him so he settled on undressing himself and held Will close to his chest.   
He didn't sleep. Instead, he watched him in his sleep, calming Will's increasing waves of fear, violence and anger that came from his mind. Or that's were it all came from his gift, sometimes a curse. 

 

As Will opened his eyes, he immediately noticed the dim light from the window. He wasn't sure if it was evening or morning. A heavy arm on his waist and a warm wing were next to be happily noticed. He yawned and stretched, pressing his body to Hannibal’s own.

“Good morning” his mate said, kissing his neck.

“Hi...”

“You didn't eat last night”

“Are you serious?” Will complained, laughing. “I was so tired I barely made it to the bed!”

“How are you feeling today?” asked Hannibal, absently stroking his belly under his shirt.

“Hungry” he felt Hannibal’s smile against his neck. “And I need a shower, and...” Will turned his head around, with a little effort, and kissed him.

“Shower first?”

“Don't you dare” Will whispered in a very dangerous tone.

Hannibal helped him out of his jacket, shirt and jeans -with an elastic band already. Will was more than aroused. He was desperate. Two weeks of absolutely no sex were torture and he was going to change that. Fuck the murderer, fuck Jack and his temper. Will wanted his mate and he would get what he needed.

“Don't undress” Will asked, moaning and pressing back with only two fingers. “And just fucking put it inside”

“Your mouth-”

“Then put my mouth to good use” Will growled. Next thing he knew, two slick fingers were pressing hard, down on his tongue and his mate's cock thrusting hard and deep into his ass.

Will bit hard and arched his back, moaning. Hannibal’s teeth sank on his shoulder and his thrusts became harder, grazing his prostate, but not enough to make him come. He knew Hannibal wanted to come first and torture him later. Or so he thought until his fingers slipped out from his mouth and Hannibal’s hand went down to pump his cock until he came, surprised and maybe a little bit angry.

“What the fuck?” Will panted, his sight blurry.

Hannibal just kept thrusting, this time, gently. Will was still hard, panting and boneless when he came again with a sigh, gripping the sheets.  
He felt his mate's fingers holding his hips, hard, when he came. Then he pulled out and made Will lay on his back. All the weight of his belly pressed him down and made him feel so heavy he couldn't even move.   
Will looked at him and smiled weakly. 

“I hate you”

“You don't. And I wasn't done with you...”

 

Abigail held her knees close to her breast and rested her head on top. Winston, Suzie and Chubby were around her.   
She was so angry and felt so powerless. She should have never asked him to come inside...

“Stupid, stupid Abigail” she told herself.

After he'd kissed her, she felt so hot and desperate for his touch, everything else was just a distant memory. His hands gripped her hair and pulled her head back while her own hands pulled his body to hers with such intensity she couldn't breathe.  
Then, when Walt's tongue lapped and his lips sucked on her neck, everything connected.

With a strength she didn't know she possessed, she pushed and threw him over the couch. She crawled back and then ran until her back was to the door. Her sweaty palms flat on the wood. She was panting, her eyes unfocused and she was so hot...

“You should leave” she whispered. Her mind was racing, thoughts unclear and the throbbing between her legs wasn't helping at all.

She didn't look at him, but heard him come closer until she could see his feet.

“Get out”

“This is... complicated, right?”

“GET OUT!” she screamed, opening the door and looking to one side of the room. The dogs ran into the house, confused with the smell and the scene.

“You know... this changes what-”

She finally looked up and he stopped talking. Something in her eyes told him it was better to obey now, safe his life and try again some other time.

 

Now, after a long shower, she had secured the house and curled up with her dogs. No longer confused and scared, she was angry and felt a knot in her throat. 

“A suitable mate...” she said to no one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all have the right to be angry because I'm late on the update, BUT I just wasn't sure about Walt. Actually, my mom gave me the idea of them together so... thanks mum? 
> 
> So, any thoughts?


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Come and see...

Francis Dolarhyde hid his face with a scarf and pressed himself closer to the wall. He had a good view of the Leeds family, the four of them having dinner around a big table. They were happily chatting, laughing and eating like nothing was going to happen to them.   
They were just nothing. Less than that. He was doing them a favor. He was transforming them, and that made him change too. He could feel it. The hotness inside him was warmer everyday. The Dragon wanted him and he needed those angels for Him. 

Soon, he told himself, smiling. Only three more days and they'll be Yours.

 

Captain Greg Linderman, the man running Birmingham's Police Department, offered Jack Crawford and his team a few spare offices since day one. They assured Crawford the whole department was at their disposal and as many agents as they required were by his orders. That pleased Jack and the team. Not every time they left Quantico to work in another city they were welcomed like this. 

Almost one month later, Jack stared at the big wall, full of pictures, maps and red thread. One hour later he had nothing.  
Beverly, followed by Price and Zeller, were the first ones to arrive. Will Graham and Dr. Lecter were next. Then seven top officers came in, the last one closing the door. Two of those officers, agent Sara Teller and agent Mark Fitz were the link to Captain Linderman. Teller was a criminologist and soon to be profiler. That made her Will's shadow. Otherwise, agent Fitz was still a mystery for Crawford. He was lazy, bad tempered and rude. He couldn't keep his mouth shut and Crawford learned, a few days later, that his family was one of those remaining of the Pre-Revelation religions. He hated Demons for being what they were; hated Angels because they were not the expected creatures they'd been told centuries ago; and, most of all, hated the Nephilim race for representing the sin of the Angels, the filth of the Demon essence and the weakness of humanity.

They had some curious and dumb ideas of what love is. Fitz hated taking orders from Will Graham, who represented almost everything he and his religion hated. Will was a male, pregnant Angel, mated to another male, and a Nephilim.   
Will of course, couldn't care less, but Jack noticed Hannibal staring at that man and he feared the good doctor indignation. He knew how protective an Alpha could be, even more when their mate was pregnant.

Internal fights aside, Jack had to deal with an investigation that was no closer to finish than almost one month ago. 

“Okay, everyone” he started, after he made sure everyone's attention was on him. “I know these past weeks have been unproductive, to put it mildly. But we still have work to do. The lab has confirmed there are no matches for fingerprints nor semen. Whoever it was, has never been arrested” he looked at everyone, noting the deception and anger. Will kept staring down at his hands and Dr. Lecter was the only one who seemed unaffected.

“But that doesn't mean it's over” said Beverly Katz. She knew how to lift spirits. “Guys, it's been a month and we have more that we expected. We know he's a male beta demon, possibly disfigured; so we know he won't be walking around just like that. He's highly dangerous and has an unknown motive. Agent Graham suggests our killer suffers from some mental illness for some dark spot he feels in his soul”

At that, agent Fitz laughed, mocking Will's methods. Lecter's eyes were on his direction and he stopped.

“Please, apologize” Hannibal said, calmly. 

Everyone in the room seemed uncomfortable.

“What? No way, man...” he chuckled, but dared not looking back at him. Jack knew there was something in Dr. Lecter's eyes that were so weird they scared. 

“Your narrow mind might be useful in your personal life, but if that interferes with an investigation you should reconsider leaving behind all those old fashioned fake beliefs we all know very well, and let us work. Now please, apologize to my mate, who has been risking his pregnancy in order to help find the murderer”

Agents changed comments under their breaths like teenagers until Fitz nodded, visibly angry, and apologized. He didn't mean it but Jack knew Hannibal wanted to humiliate him. Will accepted his apology and they all looked back at him.

“Well, as agent Katz said, we still have a chance to catch him. If we're wrong and he's not a serial killer we can get him in time. If not... well, we better catch him before he kills again. Luckily we still got time. Now, I want everyone to check every file again. Every lead, every single word of every file we have. This is priority, guys! And Graham, I want you, the doctor and agent Teller to go back to that house this afternoon. Maybe you can get something new... Dismissed”

They all left in a hurry, having something to do after three days of pure nothing.

Jack sat down on a big chair, and held back the impulse to call Bella. She couldn't talk now.

 

Abigail woke up to the sound of three hungry kittens mewling and climbing her bed. She got up, gathered the little babies and brought them to the kitchen where she poured milk on a deep bowl. She lowered it and let them drink. The mother was still absent in the mornings, hunting and resting from three little demons so she wasn't worried. 

Once the dogs were also back home, after a walk in the woods, Abigail snuggled up in the couch with a blanket she didn't need but made her feel safe. 

Almost a week since she hasn't heard anything about anyone... She avoided the phone calls she'd been receiving everyday from Walt or whatever his name was. He wouldn't dare coming, he knew she could hurt him this time. Abigail couldn't talk to Alana, because she was an Alpha and could smell her Heat was close. She would know she'd met someone and she would ask.  
Hannibal and Will were too busy to call so she just texted them.  
So that left her alone with seven dogs and four cats, thinking what she should do next. But that wasn't easy, either, because all she could think of was him. His smell, his eyes... he was a potential mate, though there was always the chance he was only suitable for her Heat. She did feel attraction but nothing else.   
She was confused. She knew that happened sometimes. Casual sex happen but she's only met humans doing it. She didn't know about the rest of the species... Hannibal had had other mate, at least one they knew. But Will wasn't interested and had never had sex with anyone but Hannibal. Had Will ever had a false alarm? Had Hannibal had other partners before Clarice? Before Will?

She just sighed, angry with Walt and his stupid mission. What did that mean anyway? He'd been hired to kill Hannibal? By whom? She didn't have to ask why, though.

 

Right outside, Alana Bloom hadn't decided what she would do. The possibility of Abigail being hurt was there, but also Alana could be kicked out by her for God knows what.   
Alana sighed, got out of the car and walked into the porch. It was the right thing to do. Before she could knock, she heard someone walking behind her. She turned around and saw a young man, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, with his hands inside his pockets. He seemed nice but Alana was wary of everyone these days.

“Hello” he greeted her, his wings opening a little. He was an angel, and Alpha. Strong.

“Hi. Uhmm who are you?”

“I'm a friend of Abigail's”

Irish.

“Are you? She doesn't have many friends” she doesn't really have friends.

“Yes, she's been gone for days now and I felt guilty” he shrugged and looked away. 

“Why? Is she alright?”

“I guess? I mean... I think I triggered her Heat and honestly, that was not my intention... it just happened!”

He seemed distressed. Or so he intended because Alana wasn't buying it. She could recognize a liar.

“Well she probably wants to be alone now. Go home. I'll tell her you've been here”

“I'm Walt, by the way. Tell her that I'm sorry and that I want to talk to her. It's important”

Then he turned around, knowing she would do that. Alana frowned and made sure he left, in a noisy motorbike.   
She finally knocked on the door. Alana heard some scrambling and then the door opened. Abigail looked like a ghost. 

“Good morning?” Alana threw her arms in the air and let them fall by her sides. She wore a gentle smile she knew it worked for everyone.

“Hi. I'm sorry, come in” Abigail said, stepping aside. 

Alana walked into the house, then the kitchen, and started to take pans and food form the freezer.

“What are you doing?” Abigail asked. “Not that I mind having someone cooking for me, it's just...”

“You need to eat something” Alana answered, rolling her sleeves up. “It seems you've been starved, Abigail. You haven't answered my calls and I needed to see you were okay”

“I am”

“Also, that guy Walt was worried too” Alana looked at her by the corner of her eye and saw the young girl flinch. “He seems nice. I just met him! He was outside, waiting for you to give any signs of life” 

“It's complicated”

“You're going into Heat” Alana stated, her back to Abigail.

“Did he tell you?”

“Yes, but I can smell you... don't be embarrassed, it's natural”

After a few minutes, Abigail sat up on the counter and saw Alana cook. The smells were doing wonders to her and soon she felt like she was, in fact, starved. She couldn't remember eating after Walt left that day...

“If you want to talk about it, here I am”

 

Slamming the door of the hotel room, Walt ran into the bathroom and took off his clothes. He entered the shower without looking at himself in the mirror. He hated the scars he'd gained in his life as a mercenary. Those were marks of his failures and he wasn't proud of them.

He felt stupid. This had never happened to him, and he couldn't forgive himself it happened in the middle of a job. She was the daughter of the target, for God's sake...

One hour later he received an email from Morgan, demanding a detailed report on his progress. He spent two hours writing his answer and, later, the Pazzi widow phoned. She asked the same, basically.  
He couldn't tell them he'd triggered the girl's Heat.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do now...?”

 

Freddie Lounds closed the laptop when the lights on the panel flickered and turned on. Belts on, and ten minutes later, they were on their way to Birmingham. Wendy fell asleep minutes later and her head rested on her shoulder.

Two days before, Freddie decided she needed to go to Birmingham and take the investigation from the FBI. They were clearly stuck or completely clueless. Maybe a new pair of eyes were what they needed. Still, she wouldn't collaborate with them. In any case, she'd let some anonymous statements or pictures slip into the Police Department. She's a concerned citizen, right after a good journalist. Wendy had almost begged to come with her and she couldn't refuse her pleas.   
The rest of the time was as bored as it could get and when they finally landed, Freddie was the sleepy one. They rented a car and one hour later they parked in front of the house, the police yellow tape still surrounding the property. 

Wendy stared at it, hands gripping the wheel.

“Someone died there”

“Hey baby” Freddie lifted her chin and kissed her. “Don't let that get into you. That's why we're here, so he doesn't hurt more people”

Wendy kissed her back and smiled.

“You've changed” Wendy said. “Since that Abigail girl... you've changed”

Freddie chuckled and got out of the car. She knew Wendy was right. Now she wanted to catch this bastard, not only find holes in the law to get away with breaking it to get an article.   
Rescuing a girl from the claws of a psychopath was life-changing and she liked it. Keeping a secret such as a renowned man as doctor Lecter killing said psychopath... Well, call her a doubtful moralist, she understood. She would have done the same for Wendy.

There was no one in the neighborhood; the streets were empty and only a couple of cars were parked nearby. Otherwise, they were alone.   
Freddie walked around the house, Wendy following her, and they found a dark backstreet. There was a fence low enough to pass over it if the climbed on a dumpster. Freddie passed first then helped Wendy.

“Remember: don't touch anything”

Freddie looked around and started to take pictures at everything. There was still blood in the grass, footprints and a drop of blood in the fence. Something caught her attention and directed the camera to the woods behind them. 

“Freddie...” Wendy pulled from her belt. She shushed her mate but Wendy kept calling.

“I'm into something strange, what is it?” then she turned around and saw Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter and a human cop, whose gun was pointing at them. “Oh, hello”

“Put the camera down and kneel with your hands over your head. Both of you, now!” screamed the agent.

“No, wait” said Will Graham. Freddie breathed again, relieved. “She's a friend, really, agent Teller”

Agent Teller seemed to hesitate for a second but then they shared a look and she secured the gun back into the holster. 

“What are you doing here, Ms. Lounds?” asked Dr. Lecter. He looked as menacing as always.

“We're here to investigate”

“Are you? I doubt it” said Will. He looked so... pregnant. “You're here for an article”

“Yes, we're sorry! Freddie, tell them what they want to know and let's go back home” Wendy whined. She had tears in her eyes.

“Hey, no, please...” Will, uncomfortable, tried to calm her down. He walked slowly and stopped in front of her. “We're not going to arrest you, okay?

Wendy nodded.

“Then what?

Will looked back at Hannibal, no nodded, then turned to look at Freddie. She tilted her head and crossed her arms under her breasts.

“I think we could use your help, Ms. Lounds” he barely smiled but Freddie saw it. He had a plan and he needed her.

 

They made them follow them to their hotel, then into their room. 

“Work for us, and you'll get the exclusive, when we catch him” Will started “just... don't publish anything about the case, not yet, or it might stir him. We don't know much about him, but if he's impulsive, we're going to regret it”

“What do you want me to do?”

 

Next day, Will took Freddie with them and took Jack apart to tell him the plan. First, he didn't even want to talk about it but he reasoned it was better than nothing and Freddie.

“This is a long shot, Will, are you sure? Could be dangerous and you know it”

“What else can we do, huh? He's gone and he's silent and he might come back soon”

“I was sure he's a serial killer, but now? I don't know, Will”

“Trust me, Jack” Will said. Whatever Crawford saw in the angel's eyes, it made Jack agreed.

Something told Freddie this wasn't a good idea... but they needed this. They needed her. And she was a fighter, so she wasn't going to retreat and hide to pick the leftovers. She was going to get her own material. First hand.

By afternoon they all had their roles settled and they all left to go back to their hotel rooms. All but Jack Crawford.

 

Will let Hannibal guide him with a hand in the small of his back. He was so tired, sore and upset he wasn't sure how to feel. Well, he felt disappointed with himself for not being able to put the killer in jail. The press started to call him some stupid name a while back when one of the boys in the Police Department said something “funny” about the bite mark he'd left in the neck of the boy.

That wasn't his name, so Will wasn't interested. He just wanted to eat and sleep. And once Hannibal closed the door behind them, Will headed to the bed.

“Will” Hannibal said. He turned around, eyelids heavy. “Dr. Decroix is coming, remember?”

Will groaned and banged his head on the wall. He felt Hannibal behind him, then his hand over his shoulder, thumbing his neck.

“It'll be just a few minutes, I promise” he reassured Will.

“Why is he coming to us? Did you buy him flight?”

“No, no” Hannibal chuckled. “He did not accept it. He's coming willingly. He's angry because you should have visited him at least twice since we left”

“Bit busy...” Will groaned again, pushing himself from the wall, hands on his heavy belly, and went into the bathroom.

“Do you want any help?”

“Please...” Will murmured. 

He was starting to feel what he promised he wouldn't. In other words, he couldn't see where to put his socks anymore or if he was tying his shoes correctly. Heavy, clumsy and slow, things like bathing or going out of the bed were a matter of skill he lacked.   
Lucky him, he had Hannibal, who helped him in anything he needed. Will didn't have to ask, because his mate payed attention to all his needs.

These past weeks had drained him, which was absolutely reckless in his condition but Will couldn't give up. This monster needed to be stopped and he was going to get it.  
Hannibal was there for him, for the baby and he was more than his companion. Hannibal was the physical link between the monster and Will. Hannibal was vital for this investigation but couldn't get any credit other than psychiatric assistance in the case.

 

Will was starting to take his clothes off when he felt Hannibal’s hands on his, stopping him.

“Thank you” Will said, barely a whisper.

“It's my duty. Without these gestures towards you I'd feel useless”

“Hopelessly romantic” Will mocked him, while his hands ran up and down his sides.

“Laugh all you want, but it's true” Hannibal chuckled, planting a kiss behind his ear.

“I love you, you know?” Will said, turning around. He threw his arms over his shoulders. “I really appreciate all you're doing for me. You should be with Abigail, taking care of her... and instead you're aiding the clumsiest angel in the world”

Hannibal’s lips curled slightly upwards. Then he leaned in for a kiss that required more than a few minutes until they were both satisfied.

“We need to hurry” Will said trying to get closer. Hannibal put his hands on his hips, lifted and eyebrow and tilted his head to the shower.

“We're not having sex until he's gone” Hannibal said.

Will frowned but let his mate take off the rest of his clothes. Naked, aroused and tired, he just went into the shower and closed the transparent door. His wings, still ethereal were folded behind him.  
Hannibal went into the bedroom and started to prepare the room for the doctor. 

Hannibal was sure of the monster they were chasing. He was not intelligent but he knew how get away with torture, rape and mass murder. He would do it again. He'd seen the backyard. All the blood, the footprints. He loved to show himself to the world, plain sight, but no one looking. The blood must have been shining, black and so warm...  
Then it hit him. His back straightened so fast he felt a few bones clacking. Then he ran back to the bathroom, where Will was drying himself off.

“Have you changed your mind?” Will asked bitterly.

“He was out in the backyard because he wanted to see the moon, and the color blood under it” he almost panted. He was so excited! That was what the monster wanted. “He prides himself on what he did, and he wanted to be seen. Something or someone moves him”

Will's face changed from confusion to realization. He saw it like he did. 

“We need to call Jack” Will mused.

“No, that can wait” he explained. “That won't help the investigation. It only help us understand him. Get dressed”

 

Ten minutes later, Dr. Decroix was knocking on the door.

“You two deserve an reprimand!” he... greeted them. “Yes! You two! How do you get the idea of leaving your home while pregnant?”

“Well, there's t-this case and-” Will stuttered. 

“And that was reckless and stupid! You're thirty one weeks pregnant and you think one day 'oh, I'm gonna hunt a dangerous, vicious killer'? Just like I said, RECKLESS!” he yelled, waving his wiry arms and pacing the room.

Will seemed a scolded puppy while Hannibal could only be described as slightly offended.

“I can take care of him” Hannibal said.

“Clearly not!” he pointed at Will. “He's underweight, he's exhausted and sexually frustrated!”

Hannibal blushed and stammered a hurried answer unheard to Dr. Decroix, currently scolding Will.

“Now take off that shirt and let me take a look at your baby”

Will lifted his shirt -already stretched- and sat on the bed. The doctor sighed, shaking his head and put his hands around his belly. After a few 'umms' and 'mmmhps!' he stood up and helped Will on his feet.

“Normal news and... odd news. Almost thirty two weeks, which means seventh month. The baby is growing strong but slow from now on. He'll move less now because there's no room, with his wings and his body... it's just impossible so it'll hurt for a few days until he settles upside down. It's normal, believe me, even if the pain is... well, painful” he snickered. “Ummm... You will feel heavier, cravings are still on the menu” he ogled back at Hannibal “and yes, your new sleeping routine will be the same for a few more months if not a year. Having a baby is tiring, whatever species you are. Oh yes, you'll feel the bond stronger, Will, because you're carrying him, and he'll start making demands. I'll explain myself: if the baby likes the way you feel when you bathe, you'll have that urge. It'll happen more often with sex so you better fornicate like monkeys once I'm gone”

Will hid his laugh behind his hand and looked at Hannibal. The Nephelim swallowed hard and asked “And what about the odd news?”

“Oh yeah... your baby has the Graze. You don't have to go to Heaven to give birth” he smiled and passed between them. He was opening the door when Will gripped his arm.

“What do you mean, doctor?”

“Your baby has the Graze. Just like you when you were in your mother's womb”

“What?” Will asked, confused.

“I could feel it the first time I touched you. Your gift was granted just like this. You had your Graze even before you were born, so does your son” he opened the door and, before leaving, he licked his lips and looked at both of them. “Your son is gifted, Will. Now you two know how to direct his skills. I'm across the street, in that other hotel, room 501. I'll be around until you regain your common sense and go back to Baltimore”

Then he just disappeared and Will and Hannibal were left astonished. Will brought his hand up, touched under his shirt and stared at the door, as if he was asking for answers.

“Will...”

“Now I know why...”

Hannibal took his wrist and lead him to the bed. They both sat, facing each other. Will's eyes were full of tears but he wasn't sure why.

“I don't want 'this'” he pointed at his head, hissing “happen to my son”

“Will, we know how to make sure he-”

“You don't understand! All I've been through for this 'gift' is terrifying! It scarred me for life!”

“You were alone, Will” he tried to explain.

Will was shaking, hands gripping the sheets. Hannibal placed his hands on each side of Will's temples and sent a calming flow through their bond. He let Will know their son will be safe, he'll be taught how to control and use his gift. And Will understood his point of view, but still, it was too much for one day.

“Go to sleep, Will”

“No until you make love to me” Will whispered, too tired to anything else.

Hannibal knew it was impossible to argue and win over this with his mate, so he just took off his clothes while Will did the same, slower, and waited for him.   
The moment he was naked, Will got into the bed, sheets over him.

“What are you doing?” Hannibal asked, amused and concerned at the same time.

“I...” Will avoided his gaze and just flopped down on the bed. “I'm feeling a little insecure today towards my body” he confessed, clearly embarrassed.

Hannibal shrugged and turned off the lights, pressing himself against Will's back, feeling the ghostly touch of his wings. He snuggled closer to his mate, hands roaming all over Will's body, his hard cock pressing against Will's backside. His hand wandered down and entered Will with two fingers. The slickness dripped down, soaking Hannibal’s hand and the sheets. Will was already clenching, too aroused to control himself. Hannibal nibbled at Will's neck and earlobe while his mate tried to get more friction, to get more of him.

“Come, Will”

Will came in his own hand, and Hannibal smiled triumphant, proud of doing things to Will with just an order. 

“I... can't see you” Will whined, panting, cleaning his hand on the sheets.

“I'm here, Will”

Hannibal turned Will's face and, leaning his weight on his elbow, he positioned over Will's side to kiss him while he guided himself inside Will. He moaned, still desperate for more. More of his mate, more of their connection. His hand scurried back, scratching Hannibal’s thighs while moving his hips, fucking himself on his cock.  
Hannibal bit his mate's lip, enough to bruise and overstimulate him. Will licked his tongue and Hannibal gripped his curls, slamming Will's mouth to his. He moaned and gasped when Hannibal thrust hard and took Will in his hand. He cried out and Hannibal aimed for the swollen prostate, making his mate cry out in his mouth, coming mere seconds later. Will fell boneless and Hannibal grabbed Will's leg by the back of his knee, brought it up and thrust in again.

Will's insides were clenching and loosening, tender and sore already, but Hannibal knew this was what Will needed. He loved it rough and fast. By the sounds Will released, he knew he was doing it right. Then his mate bared his neck, too tired to even talk, and Hannibal suck while grabbing Will's hipbone, and coming deep inside him. Seconds later, and shaking, Hannibal fell next to Will, who was making a great effort in turning around and resting his head over his chest. His mate threw a leg over his and took his hand, placing it on his swollen belly.

Content, and satisfied, Will fell asleep in minutes.

Before closing his eyes, and following Will's example, Hannibal decided they would leave next day. The day after if not possible. He couldn't believe how reckless he'd been, letting Will expose himself to this danger.

 

Will woke up recognizing a voice. At first he shrugged it off, thinking it was a dream, but then he understood he was reasoning with himself and that just didn't happen in a fucking dream.  
Frowning, he opened his eyes and saw light in under the door. It was the small living room in the hotel room they were for the last three weeks and he couldn't believe how angry that made him.

Three weeks to get a murderer as dangerous as this one...

Eventually, he made it and got off the bed, went into the bathroom and cleaned himself from the last night. He felt happily sore and expected more for that night.  
Coming out and then into the living room, he saw Alana Bloom and Hannibal having breakfast. Alana stood up and hugged him, carefully.

“You're amazing, Will!” she beamed, looking down at his belly. He blushed.

“Thanks, Alana... Not that I'm not happy to see you, but... what are you doing here?” he asked, sitting down next to Hannibal, who squeezed gently his thigh.

“You have to eat first. News later” she said.

Will felt her nervous, but didn't press on it. He expected an answer and he trusted her.  
They had a lot of work that day. He knew Freddie got a general idea by now of the article she would write to lure the killer, to make a mistake. It was a trap and he was going to use their only chance, and put that demon in jail.

Once he finished breakfast, they all stared at each other. Alana didn't know how to begin and Hannibal was just as curious as he was.

“Well... it's been a week since I haven't heard a word from Abigail”

A knot formed in Will's throat. He leaned over the table, but before he could ask if something bad happened, Alana held her hand in front of her and assured him she was fine. They both had been texting her instead of talking by phone, but they were too busy.

“She's fine, really” but she bit her lip and looked aside. “She's met someone,a potential mate. Her Heat is close and she's confused” she looked at them, her expression professional now. “She needs her parents now. She doesn't know what to do and I believe a talk could do wonders and take her out of that apathetic state. She's also scared, guys”

Hannibal looked at him, his desires clear. And Will couldn't just abandon their daughter in one crucial moment of her life. As scared and confused Will was in his first Heat would be nothing compared to hers. Alone, too young and as especial as she was...

“We need to go home” Will breathed, and the relief in Hannibal’s face was so evident Will wondered if he expected another answer.

“I know this is difficult” Alana said. “You're investigating a murder but-”

“I know” Will interrupted, standing up. “This is more important” 

Will took his phone and handed it to Hannibal, telling him to book a flight to Baltimore, then tell Jack they were leaving.

“Freddie will be here in a few minutes, I'm going to the bedroom and start to package our things”

 

Jack did not receive that news well, but had to let them go. It was their decision and he could not hold them back. Hannibal had to remind him he would do anything to keep Will safe.   
Their flight was settled for the next day, mid-morning. 

They spent the rest of the day on the phone and the room. Will talked to agent Teller for an hour and a half, instructing her on what to do in case anything happened.   
Hannibal assisted Freddie on what would make the killer angry, in a psychological way. From vague suppositions to a very bad profiling work.

Alana left as soon as Freddie came in and spent the day with Jack and the team. She was staying as psychiatric expert; Hannibal’s recommendation. 

 

When they were alone, late evening, Hannibal came from the hotel kitchen. He'd convinced the director of the hotel to cook for his pregnant mate, who suffered allergies. This, of course, was a lie. But Will still needed human meat and Hannibal had brought plenty supplies for at least one week more. Before leaving next day, he would tell Anna, the chef, to throw all the food he kept there. She would do it, no questions asked.

 

Lying on his side, Hannibal behind him, Will woke up to the phone, ringing. They were leaving today and he'd had a light sleep so he picket it up before Hannibal was awake.

“Who is it?” Will asked, not feeling very social so soon.

“Graham, it's me” he recognized Jack's voice. It surprised him he was awake before sunrise.

“What's up?”

“He's killed again. In Atlanta. Four members of a family. All angels. Raped and tortured the Omega ones. Same modus operandi, Will. We have a serial killer”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting complicated for our boys


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dragon pays a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. This one had me thinking a lot. Not an easy chapter but I'm already working on the next one.  
> Enjoy!

They waited until eight am to get Dr. Neal Decroix on the phone, and half an hour more to pick him up. Jack was already on his way to Atlanta, on a plane, because he couldn't wait for them. So he took the team and they were already there, Will thought.   
Freddie and Wendy were waiting for them outside, with Dr. Decroix. Will trusted him and he knew he wouldn't tell Lounds anything personal about them.

“I'll tell Abigail, take that suitcase-” Hannibal pointed the small one “and wait with Neal”

Will nodded absently, did what Hannibal told him and, once he was on the elevator, he rubbed his eyes. He was tired and not excited to see another carnage like the one with the Jacobi family. He felt out of himself, disconnected and upset.   
One month. They'd had one month to catch him.

Will felt like he'd been played, fooled. “Catch me if you can... but if you don't I'm killing again” Will imagined a terrible voice in his head, laughing at him and his futile work.  
Will greeted the doctor, Freddie and her mate and let the older man help him put his suitcase in the car trunk.

“So, Atlanta?” asked Freddie.

“That bastard could live anywhere” answered Will.

“Can you tell me more?”

Will looked at her, frowning. He was not in the mood but she wasn't playing with him. She wasn't being arrogant and he had no right to snap at her.

“The whole family. All four, dead. The two Omegas raped and tortured. I don't know much, but it's the same guy”

Freddie nodded and hugged Wendy close to her. The human shivered in the cold air, but Will guessed she was scared, too. He should be scared, but he was so angry it didn't even matter.

Two minutes later, Hannibal was driving them to Atlanta. They thought it would be more practical to use the car they rented last month and use it until the case was over and they could go back home, one serial killer less.  
Freddie and Wendy followed them in their car and Dr. Decroix occupied the backseat with his own wooden suitcase. The old man wore a white, expensive suit and a colorful tie. He smiled like a kid with a bag of sweets. 

Will spent the rest of the trip re-reading files of the case. He knew something should appear in front of him, telling him how stupid he'd been for missing it. And after one hour of fruitless work he huffed, annoyed, and closed the briefcase. Two papers fell and Will struggled with his huge belly to grab them.  
He stared at them, blankly, and realized with disappointment it was just the weather of the day before the first murder. It rained the previous night so it occurred to Will they should find track marks of the mysterious van if it was parked behind the house. They found nothing, because it only rained for ten minutes before their deaths. If only, the marks vanished before the killer was home.  
No witnesses, even in a clear night, full moon and all...

“Hannibal?” Will said, almost shaking.

“Yes, Will?”

“Was last night full moon?” Will asked, staring at his mate, expectantly.

“Yes, why?”

“A few weeks ago, you said he wanted to see the blood under the moonlight... that he prided himself... but... it's not like that” Will implied. 

“What do you mean?” Hannibal asked, frowning. 

“It was full moon when he killed the first time. Last night was full moon, too”

 

Abigail was pacing in the kitchen, in shorts and a tank top, wings spread behind her. He was hot, almost sweating, and very angry when the phone rang. She answered almost hissing.

“Abigail? It's me”

“Oh God, Hannibal, are you two coming?” she asked, desperately. 

“I'm sorry, dear, but the man we're chasing killed again last night. We're on our way to Atlanta”

“Oh...” she felt tears in the corner of her eyes.

“Abigail, I wish I could go but Will needs me here”

“No, no... I understand. Just... take care of him, okay? Don't let him exhaust himself” she grinned, almost crying already.

“Abigail...”

“It's okay, really”

“It's not okay... You need to mate, but you're too young and you feel lost and confused. Abigail, listen to me. It's not bad. You can mate with whoever you want. You won't bond if you don't love them” he reassured her, and she felt like crying of relief. 

“Really?”

“Of course, Abigail. You just make sure he- is a he?”

“Yes. I met him shortly after you two left”

“Well, make sure he knows what you want and what you don't want. If he respects you, then everything is good for you. Being an Omega doesn't make you a slave, not to anyone, not to your condition”

Abigail couldn't hold it back and sobbed, falling to the floor, back to the counter. Winston was already there, licking at her face.

“Thank you” she cried. “But what if I get pregnant?”

“You won't. You're too young, even if your Heat comes too soon” Hannibal sighed “I'm worried, Abigail. But I trust you and I know you'll be fine”

She nodded, told him she was okay now and she'll call Walt right after this.

Half an hour later she was still staring down at the phone.

 

When they arrived, Freddie, Wendy and the doctor were sent to the hotel that was twenty minutes away from the house of the Leeds. Freddie was angry, Wendy thankful and the doctor worried. He managed to stay outside the house, surrounded by police officers. He was told to wait until someone called him in. He hoped not, but he stayed. 

Will and Hannibal met Jack Crawford and Beverly Katz at the door. She looked disgusted, but Jack seemed about to black out. 

“No one's touched anything. The neighbor saw a man leaving the house before sunrise. He was jogging and spotted a brown van twenty feet from here. He wasn't very thoughtful, this time. Anyway, he peered inside, because the door was open, and saw blood in the stairs”

“He's clean?” Will asked handing his coat to Hannibal.

“Yeah, he's a lawyer who's known this family for over thirty years” Katz answered. “He was courting the oldest girl, the Beta angel. She died quickly”

Hannibal and Will looked at each other. Hannibal nodded and assured him he would be downstairs, if anything happened.   
When Will was grabbing the latex gloves, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around and a woman was looking at him like he was out of place. 

“Who the Hell are you?”

“It's fine Anabel” Jack said, a hand on her forearm. She lifted an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips.

“Tell me why there's a pregnant man in my crime scene” she demanded.

“He's Special Agent Will Graham. He's a profiler” he explained.

“Well, he better leave this place now. He's pregnant, for God's sake!”

They were drawing the unwanted attention of the police officers around them. Will sighed, exasperated, and started to walk into the house.

“Hey young man!” she called. “You better stop there!”

“What's the problem, ma'am?” Hannibal asked, stepping between the woman and Will.

“And who's this?” she pointed at him, looking back at Jack.

“His mate, doctor Hannibal Lecter”

She frowned and took a long look at him, from head to toe.

“Now it's a family reunion?” she snorted. 

“I help him coming back from the state he's in when he inspects the crime scene, ma'am” he extended his hand and she grabbed it, hard.

“Captain Anabel Crawford, from the Atlanta Police Department”

“Crawford?” he asked, surprised.

“Yes, he's my big brother”

“Nice to meet you, then. Now, my mate is an expert in criminal behavior due to an anomaly in his brain that allows him to see and feel emotional activity”

He hoped it would suffice. That wasn't what Will did, for a gift is hard to describe, but Anabel Crawford was a human and that was a problem.  
She seemed to think about it but another police officer stepped in and laughed at it.

“That's a fucking freak, then”

“Shut up, Shelly” the Captain admonished him. Then she turned back at them and pointed at Will. “Okay, you can come in, do your thing if that makes my brother happy, don't touch anything and get out soon”

Will nodded and stepped into the house. 

Hannibal stared at the man who laughed at his mate, read the name in his badge and started to decide what parts of him he could cook.

 

Inside the house, Will could smell the blood. The walls screamed violence and he felt his heart pound hard against his ribs. Everything was so familiar... the pictures on the walls, the books on the shelves, the carpets and even the colors. The furniture was old but expensive, but old, Angel families used to keep almost everything for the future.   
He started to see blood in the staircase, a few steps and the wall. One picture dripped blood. He looked at it. Two men and two little girls. The light-haired man held a baby close to his chest, wrapped in a soft pink blanket. The red haired girl tried to look into the blanket, in the arms of her father. The picture was old.   
Will saw the girls grow up before the stairs took him to the first floor. The last picture was the ultrasound of a baby dated two weeks before.

“He was less than a month pregnant” Will whispered, his hand caressing his belly.

Will entered the first room. It was big and full of posters, pictures... the two beds were on the further wall, one next to the other, in the middle a nightstand. The girls were eighteen and twenty one and they still slept in the same room. The oldest was being courted by the neighbor and died quickly...  
The youngest faced the worst fate. She was Omega.

The beds were unmade and there was bloodstains in one of them. The oldest died there. He could see the marks of a body being dragged out. He felt the fear and pain... a silent, cold scream seemed to pass through him and he followed it, feeling the excitement of a hunt. This bastard had everything under control. He felt himself chase the ghost of a scared girl, slam her against a door and...

Will stopped and he felt like himself again. He opened the door, slowly, and met his nightmare.

The four bodies, bloody and lifeless, sprawled on the bed and floor. The light-haired man, the Omega, was naked but covered in blood. Next was his daughter... her sister and father were “sitting” on the floor. The killer arranged them to mimic public. The sick bastard.

In a rush of energy, the room told him every scream, every drop of blood drained from the bodies... and worse... it made him feel everything the killer felt that night.

By the end of it all, Will was on his knees, his side on the door frame and one hand clutching the collar of his shirt. The air in his lungs was not enough...  
Then two hands made him stand up and guided him down the stairs, and outside the house. He could breath now.

“Will, it's okay now” he heard his mate. Will leaned in and rested his head on his shoulder. He realized they were sitting on the porch, away from their stupid comments.

“I can walk”

Hannibal held his gaze, nodded and took his hand. Anabel, Jack and the team and the rest of the police officers were staring at Will. He lowered his eyes and sighed.

“It's the same nightmare than the Jacobis case. He gathered the family in the master bedroom, killed the Beta and Alpha, then tortured the Omegas before raping and killing them. The Omega man-”

“Samuel” Jack said.

“Samuel Leeds was pregnant but I doubt he cared or even knew about that”

“If he's a demon he must have smelled it” Katz offered.

“Then it's much worse” Will lamented. “Did you see the backyard?”

“Yes, it's in the same condition than the Jacobi's” Katz responded. 

“We thought he prided himself and liked to see what he did under the moonlight. We were wrong. He kills only in full moon”

“That's stupid” Shelly laughed. “What, a werewolf? I can't fucking believe the FBI is spending their money in this fake mentalist” he snorted.

Will knew what would happen to this man if he kept pestering him, so he tried to take Hannibal away before it was too late. Looking around, he found his mate already staring at him like a... well, a piece of meat.

“Oh crap” Will muttered. 

Jack Crawford stepped between them, slowly, intimidating. Shelly closed his mouth and tried to find a way out, but his boss and two partners were at his sides so he tried to shrink. 

“That man you've just insulted has caught more criminals than you will ever catch in your entire life” Jack said, centimeters away from his face. “If you want to keep your status, whichever that is, you better keep scribbling nonsense for the rest of the day, shut your mouth and respect your elders”

Then Jack turned around, spread his arms and gathered his team away from the APD officers. FBI was more important today and he wasn't going to share until he decided it was time.

Jack nodded at Will's direction and started to assign duties to Zeller, Price and Katz. He ordered Will and Hannibal to go to the hotel and wait until the next day.

“I want a full report for tomorrow morning, Graham. So you better rest now, do what you have to do and eat something” Jack ordered. 

Hannibal took Will's elbow and guided him to the doctor. He was waiting with a huge smile on his face.

“I heard” he exclaimed, hands in his pockets. “Shall we go now? I'm sure Mr. Graham needs a nap”

Hannibal smiled down at Will and threw his arm over his shoulders. Will tried, with all his heart, to put aside all he'd seen and felt for the sake of his baby. He could feel the baby moving, when he wasn't supposed to do so. Decroix said there wasn't space anymore, and he'd spend the next month quiet, slowly learning to feel and react with what Will lived. 

Hannibal said he planned to speak to the baby every night, while Will was asleep. He intended to make the baby aware of them, of their love. 

If the baby knew what was good for him, he also knew what was stressing and what upset him. And Will was already feeling it. The baby was tired and anxious and that wasn't good. Even more dangerous with his gift. Will's heart jumped. All Will had felt the baby surely felt it too.

 

They were entering their hotel room, having said goodbye to Dr. Decroix two floors before, when they heard Freddie's voice. Wendy followed her.

“Care to explain what happened?” she requested before any of them could say a word.

“Not now Ms. Lounds” Hannibal said, opening the door for Will.

“To Hell with 'not now'! That man has killed again and you still expect an article? Do you, really? Because you refuse to talk to me since-”

“Freddie” Will snapped. “Just write that damned article. Make it offensive, repulsive and provocative, just like you're used to write them. We want him so pissed off he screws up. Let us rest for now”

Will slammed the door and took off his coat while pacing in the room. Hannibal grabbed him by his shoulders and made him stop. His energy dropped to zero and he realized just how tired he was. He wanted to shoo Freddie away like the insect she was, but he was actually too exhausted to put much effort to it. Now he just wanted his mate close to him, forget the world, his duties and his curse. 

 

Hannibal could almost feel how tense and upset Will was. He tried to ease some tension off his back, stroking and kneading his shoulder blades and sides.

“After this is over, I'm quitting the FBI” Will declared, nuzzling Hannibal’s neck. He hugged his waist to feel him closer, but Will's baby bump was on their way.

“Of course, Will. Now you need to rest”

“I'm tired of this”

“I know”

 

Will let Hannibal undress him to his underwear and undershirt, then led him to the bed. Once Hannibal was naked he hugged Will from behind, one arm as a pillow, the other caressing his belly. Will could almost purr.

“Touch me” he breathed. 

“I... am touching you” Hannibal teased.

“You know what I mean” Will whined, laughing. He didn't know how much Will would last awake.

Hannibal nodded, pressed his nose into Will's hair and breathed him. His scent. The scent of a pregnant, Omega angel. His mate. It was much better when he realized Will was with him because he loved him, not because he loved, idolized the idea of a mate.   
As insecure as he'd been before, he could see it clear now. Will was his light. Will was good for him.

“Lift your leg... no, it's okay I'll hold it for you... good”

Hannibal knelt behind Will, holding his leg, while stimulating Will's external glands. They were around his entrance and they were responsible for his natural lubrication. With only two fingers, gently rubbing the entrance, pressing a little, Hannibal made Will drip a sweet scented wetness that was intoxicating.   
He noticed how Will's hands gripped and pulled the sheets, softly whining but too tired to even ask.

His wings were flat spread over the bed and, even ethereal, they seemed as heavy and lush as always. Hannibal missed caressing them, grooming them. He could not, for the moment, so he pressed a thumb against the oil glands that were empty for now. It was still an erogenous zone and Will moaned.   
Hannibal pressed in two fingers, surrounded by Will's slick, tight and hot insides, and slipped in and out until his mate came untouched. His own hands were too busy.

“Very good, Will” he pressed a kiss on his temple and lined his body behind Will to lay on his side.

Then he heard Will snoring softly.

Hannibal blinked a couple of times and stood up, aroused and confused.

“Shower, then”

 

Freddie paced in the room while Wendy ate her sandwich and abstained from yelling at her.

“Freddie, sweetie, would you please come and sit with me?”

“That fucking angel makes me sick! Do you even know how dangerous that is? He could kill again sooner, come after me, escape or do something reckless” she complained. “But it will all fall on me! I'm trying to help but this is not the way”

“But you agreed when they- ”

“That was before he killed again. We wanted him to make a mistake before he killed to seize him. Now he'll have time to come up with a better plan”

Wendy held her gaze and shook her head.

“Freddie...” Wendy started, reaching out with her hand until her demon mate took it. She looked into the cloudy, black eyes of her mate and smiled gently. “Just let them work it out first. Write what you have to write and wait until they're better”

“What do you mean?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Will Graham was exhausted, and being pregnant isn't easy, no matter how strong you are. Dr. Lecter was protecting him, but Will is the one who decides in this field. Just... let Will clear his thoughts and wait”

Freddie nodded and, reluctantly, tried to push her own troubled thoughts aside to enjoy her mate's attention. 

 

Later that night, Wendy got dressed and went down to the restaurant. She was hungry but couldn't wait for Freddie. When she was picking up a tray, someone cleared his throat and she jumped.

“Oh God!” she yelled, the tray hitting the floor.

“I'm so sorry, Ms. Hershel” 

Wendy recognized the accent and saw Will Graham's mate kneeling on the floor, retrieving the tray. He handed it back to her with an apologetic smile.

“Dr. Lecter” she sighed, laughing at herself. “Good to see you”

“Good to see you too, Ms-”

“Wendy, just call me Wendy”

“In that case, I'm Hannibal for you” he answered with a smile.

They shared a table and a bottle of wine for the rest of the evening and she marveled at the intelligence and good manners of the exotic man. She learned he was truly in love with his mate and he'd left everything behind to help him with this dangerous case.

“Still,” Wendy began “this life is just... so unsafe for Will...”

“I am aware of that”

“Take good care of him, doctor. He's a good soul” her phone beeped. “Oh, so sorry”

He smiled and asked the waitress something Wendy didn't hear. It was Freddie. She texted back reassuring her she was just having dinner with doctor Lecter.

“I... have to go back to our room” she said.

“Of course. I'll walk you to your door”

 

The doorbell rang and Abigail jumped out of the couch. The dogs were barking and howling but she ignored them. She opened the door and there he was.

“Walt”

“Hello” 

She stepped aside and let him in.

“No knives hidden?” he joked. She didn't think it was funny.

“The couch” she pointed.

They sat, side by side. She couldn't hide how much she'd love to jump on him and lose herself to that smell...

“I'm intrigued, you know?” he said, after two minutes of silence.

“Yeah I know... it's just...”

“Calm down, okay?”

Abigail nodded and reprimanded herself for just accepting and order of the man who wanted to kill her father.

“Before anything goes too far I need to know some things”

“Okay”

Abigail turned her body to his and she fixed her eyes on him. “You were hired to kill me?”

“No. Only if you were troublesome” he laughed.

“You haven't”

“I couldn't. Killing Lecter would've been easy. I can't kill you”

“You make it sound so normal” Abigail sneered, frowning.

“It's normal when you've been doing this for years”

Abigail nodded and licked her lips. “What's the plan, now?”

“It depends”

“On what?”

“On you, of course!” he smirked. She hated her stupid, cute face. “Listen, if I kill your dad I can't ask you out”

“If I refuse to date you will you kill my dad?”

“Possibly”

“Fuck you!” she snapped. He held his arms out, demanding peace.

“You called me here for something. Let's hear it”

Abigail breathed in and out for a full minute before calming herself.

“You provoked my Heat and I need release when it comes. I don't want a mate, less one who intends to decimate my new family”

“Hmm” he nodded, thinking.

“Well?”

“I'll help you with your Heat” Abigail sighed, relieved. “But you owe me a date”

“I told you I don't want a mate”

“I get it, okay? I just want to know why you're protecting such a monster. Then I'll decide what's best for my interests” Walt smiled and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Fine. Get out, I'll call you when... you know”

“Sure!” he beamed, standing up and planting a kiss on her cheek. Then he left, leaving her dumbstruck and blushing.

 

ONE WEEK LATER

 

Freddie typed for the last time in three hours in a row. This was the article of her life. It could cost her much but also bring her fame and a way in to the New York Times.   
She was no longer angry with Graham, just indifferent. He was an asshole who wanted the dirty job done and she was the only one capable of it. Those were just their roles in life.

Wendy, bless her, brought her a big, steamy mug of coffee and massaged her shoulders.

“Is it done?”

“That bastard is going to get reaaaaaally mad”

“At least everyone will know”

“Public humiliation” Freddie sentenced. “The 'Atlanta voice', 'El Nuevo Georgia'... every newspaper in Atlanta and Birmingham said yes”

“We need to be careful”

Freddie chuckled. “We're surrounded by cops and well-trained FBI agents”

“Still...”

“Look, the freak and his creepy mate are gone. Now I can sneak in and out the house and check what's left that they hid from me. This is my chance and I won't be alone, not really”

“Are you sure you want to go out tonight?”

“Yes. I need some pictures for the Daily-”

“Oh yes, the one that's out tomorrow, by afternoon?”

Freddie kissed her hand, nodding. “This is already on the Internet. TattleCrime and a dozen more”

 

Dolarhyde was half listening to the news while watching the recordings of the Lowen family when he heard something very interesting. He turned to the TV and he saw the beautiful image of the Dragon. The Great Red Dragon by William Blake. They were talking about him. The Red Dragon they called him. He was excited! He was proud! This was good!

People were starting to fear him for what he was becoming. He would be proud. But the Dragon was only awake one day before the full moon and he was alone. But joyful! 

“The profile of the serial killer named 'The Dragon' is finally public and for everyone to read” said the man on the news. “Polemic journalist Freddie Lounds, collaborating with the FBI, published this morning in a coordinated move her new article, attacking and humiliating the famous Dragon. She writes, we confirm, about a love-deprived petty man, whose lack of greater mind-”

Francis screamed and flipped the table and all it's contents to the floor. He was furious. 'Who does she think she is?' he roared. His fists connected to the wall and blood painted it. It wasn't black and he felt disappointed. Maybe he needed more victims, many more, until the transformation was complete.  
Yes, exactly. That was why they couldn't see it yet. They called him the Dragon. They deciphered it but he was still a common demon. 

That awful bitch. What did she know about him anyways?

“You can find the rest in TattleCrime.com...” he heard the man on the news.

He didn't need to. He was going to do so much more. He was going to send a message to the world.

The next day he stalked Freddie Lounds. The hotel room, all the exits and cameras. The FBI agents and every dark alley a van could fit in.

Francis waited outside the hotel, behind the building. He knew she would be alone and no one of the FBI slept on that floor. It was like He put her there, for him. He felt stupid for his reaction the other night. It was a test and He wanted her dead. He wanted her broken first.

He saw the car and Francis got out of his van. There was a way in from the back of the building and he knew how to get in without being seen. The trip was tense but thrilling. He was by her door in less than five minutes, with a laundry car behind him. He knocked twice before a sleepy woman opened the door.

No time to play.

He punched her in the chest, then her stomach and she was curled up on the floor, soundless. Her lungs fought to bring air and her stomach resisted the urged to throw up.   
Francis pulled a syringe from his trousers and injected it into her neck. He took her in his arms and put her inside the laundry car, then threw bedsheets over her limp body. He pushed the trolley out of the hotel, undisturbed, and tied her up in his van. He pushed the trolley behind a dumpster and headed home. This was going to be exciting.

 

Will was falling asleep, head lolling to one side before he could even realize it.   
They were home. He could rest and he was so happy he couldn't care less for the case right now. He was on his eighth month and he needed this. He needed his family, his dogs and his home.  
They knew the Dragon -they started to call him like that when Will connected the transformation ritual- wouldn't kill until the next full moon cycle. They could rest, for now.

Hannibal was making dinner when Will's phone rang. He dislodged himself from Abigail's hug -she was sound asleep- and answered it.

“Hey hey, calm down and repeat that” if the phone didn't wake him up, this definitely did. “Are you sure? Maybe she's out or... no? Okay just... did you tell Jack? Crawford, yes, who else? Fine, just... For how long? Six hours. Okay, no. Maybe it's just something else... Okay, just wait until there's something new. They'll find something, trust them. Call me if something- yes, that's it. Good bye”

Will hang up the phone and stared at Hannibal, who was frowning at him.

“Who was it?”

“Freddie. Wendy's missing”

Hannibal opened his mouth but he had no words. Neither did Will. Dinner was forgotten that night until sunrise, when Jack Crawford called to inform them they'd found Wendy Hershel. They found her wrapped in a bed sheet from the hotel in the backdoor of the kitchen. A note was on her hand. She had been bled to death.

The Dragon sent his regards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not like The Red Dragon canon but I guessed it would be more interesting this way. I know Hannibal has had a passive part in this chapter but we'll see him like usual soon.
> 
> Comments are like food for me, please don't starve me.
> 
> And if you want to take a look at my tumblr, here it is----> http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/
> 
> LLAP


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail's Heat, Francis eats something he shouldn't, Will chases Francis and everything goes wrong.
> 
> Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am extremely sorry, but I've had the busiest two weeks ever and my concentration has been compromised too many times.
> 
> Now my hands hurt but this chapter is finished and longer than the others I think but it's worth it, I promise.  
> Love you all, and don't forget to tell me anything you like. Hate, love... I take anything, really.

Someone was knocking on the door insistently and her eyes finally opened. The clock on the bedside table informed her it was too damn early for anything out of bed, but she jumped out to answer the door.  
The man outside looked dangerous, eager and nervous, but before she could ask, he punched her in the chest so hard the air left her lungs, then she was on the floor, clutching her stomach in pain. Seconds that turned into hell and then a sting on her neck. She blacked out thinking of Freddie.

She woke up aching... everything ached and she wanted to throw up. Breathing was hard too and she realized she had a dark bag on her head. Wendy wanted to scream, to shake her legs and arms to bring blood to them, to ask for help, to know where she was... but all she could do was try to keep quiet and keep her head down, holding her tears. 

She was tired. Tired of danger and deaths. Tired of being dragged from one place to other; to be nothing more than a scared woman who escaped from one hell to another, being saved and then back again in hell. 

Minutes passed and then footsteps getting closer. Barefoot, she noted. She was in a house, not a warehouse, and that seemed to feel worse. She was alone in the world right now and there was at least one man that could kill her. 'Give him whatever he wants, then live. Don't do anything stupid', she repeated herself.   
But if that man wanted her dead, there was nothing she could do about it.

The bag on her head was thrown away and she yelped. Wendy kept her eyes cast down, in case her not knowing her kidnapper's identity might save her life. 

“Look at me” hissed a croaky voice. It was a man.

Wendy shook her head, trembling and fighting the tears back.

“Look at me!” he screamed and Wendy sobbed, finally opening her eyes, to find a tall man in a dark robe. He smiled, satisfied and turned around, fumbling with wires on a table.

“What do you want from me?” Wendy cried. “I left and they took me back, twice! Please let me go”

He turned around, looking confused, then laughed and stood in front of her.

“You've had your own adventures, huh?” his expression hardened when he touched her face. His black eyes on hers.

There were no pupils but she knew she was looking right into her soul. She was trembling by the time he spoke again.

“Believe me, you're not here for your past. Miss Freddie Lounds wrote nasty things about me and that needs to change”

“Oh my God” she whispered, openly crying now. If this was a message she might survive...

“And I thought she wouldn't take it all back if I brought her here but through you... oh, love must be incredibly powerful if that makes you question your life... I plan on just that”

“What do you want me to say to her?”

“You're not the messenger, dear. You're the message” he smiled and turned around, then let the robe fall.

He was naked and there was a huge tattoo. Back, lower back and down to his thigh, the tail. It was the Great Red Dragon, from William Blake, Wendy remembered. Freddie and Will Graham came up with the idea a we days ago and everyone started to call him just like that, for all the transformation and crazy ideas... 'Oh God, they were right' she lamented. 

She was going to ask why her but he was already opening drawers, making noise and she couldn't stop sobbing. He turned around with a knife and she screamed.

“Not yet, silly” he laughed. “You're going to write a note. You're going to say good bye and you're going to tell them how I really am”

 

One hour later, the note was written and Wendy was finally untied. But on the floor, bathed on her own cooling blood, she did not think it was better. In fact, everything seemed so small now... Her only and last thoughts were of and for Freddie. 'Somehow thinking of the beginning of my new life, you, seemed fit for the end'  
By the end of it all, Francis Dolarhyde had a new name, a new man to hunt.

 

Two days after Wendy Hershel's death, Beverly Katz and Bryan Zeller brought the body back to the lab, back to Quantico. Jack Crawford wanted them to do everything they could.   
Freddie Lounds traveled in the same van as them, followed by the ambulance with her dead mate. She was holding the note -inside a plastic bag-, staring blankly at it. This was the last remaining memory of Wendy. Her Wendy.  
In the note she said how sorry she was, and how much she wanted to see Freddie one last time. She also said it wasn't Will Graham's fault, but Freddie blamed him since she heard about her mate. He was pressing her on the damned article. It wasn't necessary anymore but at least he was right. They stirred him up and then he made a mistake.

The thing is... that mistake was her mate.

 

Will Graham sat on the couch, the dogs starting to sprawl all over the floor after a long walk. He sighed and took off his boots, then placed his feet over Winston's ribcage to keep the warmth on them. He looked up to the window and saw it was finally dawn.  
He'd been almost two days without sleep, thinking of Wendy Hershel. She'd been a victim of his arrogance and stupidity and now he was going to pay for it. 

“Will”

Will turned around and saw his mate walking up to him. There were bags under his eyes.

“Can't sleep?”

“No since you left the bed” Hannibal admitted, sitting beside him and placing his hand over his knee.

“I needed fresh air” Will sighed, resting his head on his mate's shoulder. He passed an arm over his shoulders and Will snuggled up closer.

“Are you still thinking about her?”

“Don't you?” Will mumbled. He felt cold and empty. He knew Freddie would come and he should face whatever punishment she saw fit.

The mere thought of Wendy, dead, was punishment enough.

“I find myself surprised of how much I think about her” Hannibal confessed. “She was a good woman”

“They loved each other so much... Freddie thinks it's my fault, you know that...” Will sighed. “I think that, too”

“No, Will” Hannibal said, lifting his chin up with a finger. “You did your best. Besides, Freddie wanted to be there with us and she brought Wendy along”

Will hummed but did not answer. He knew Freddie was going to do something against him. He hoped Freddie will keep the secret about Hannibal and Abigail when she was almost killed by Chris Dale. If the story was told, there would be consequences. 

 

“Dad!?” Abigail screamed. She was in her room, reading, for hours. She told them she wasn't feeling well so they let her rest.

Will disentangled himself from Hannibal and they both ran into her room. Well, Will tried to keep up with his mate.

She was curled up in bed, clutching the blanket. Her face flustered and sweaty.

“She's in heat” breathed Hannibal.

Will stood there, leaning in the door, one hand gripping the knob. For him, the smell was familiar and harmless now, but he knew how Abigail must be feeling. Hannibal took his wrist and pulled him in the room.

“Call Walt. The number is in her phone. Tell him to come right now”

“Okay, you pack in a duffel bag what she'll need” answered Will, fishing the phone out of her jacket.

“Why?”

“We're taking her to your house, Hannibal. They'll be better there”

“I can't let him alone with her. She's vulnerable now” Hannibal explained, petting her hair. He looked lost and nervous. It was odd to Will.

“Look” Will, knelt beside him, taking one of his hands in his. “She's going to be fine, once she's with him. If something goes wrong, she'll handle it the way you've taught her to”

Hannibal thought about it for a few seconds and Will prayed for him to understand. 

“Is her smell affecting you?” Will asked, worried. He frowned and touched his forehead, but it wasn't feverish.

“No, Will, why would it? I'm your mate” he reasoned. 

“Okay, then pack up some supplies, change of clothing and whatever you think they'll need”

Then Will stood up, clumsily with his huge belly on the way, and then dialed Walt's number.

“Abigail? What is it, sunshine?” he asked, amused.

“It's Will, Abigail's father” Walt started to apologized but Will kept talking. “Listen, you need to come here right now. She's in heat and she needs you”

“Yes, sure. I'll be there in less than ten minutes”

“Good. Hurry”

“Will” Hannibal said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She's hurt. She's been in heat for an hour or two but she couldn't say anything”

“What do you mean?”

“The longer she waits, the longer the heat will be. At least four or five days”

Will groaned and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands.

“Get two bags, then. Her phone and the charger too. I want to check on her every day, at least twice”

Hannibal smirked, not knowing what to do exactly, and nodded, then went back into Abigail's room. 

Will waited patiently until they were out of the room. Hannibal sat Abigail next to Will in the couch. She grimaced and groaned in frustration, holding her head between her hands. Will passed one arm around her shoulders and held her close.   
It was obvious she was uncomfortable, sitting down when her insides churned and twisted in agony, sending waves of heat all over her body.

The doorbell rang and Will stood up, heading to the door. He wouldn't admit it but he was feeling more tired each day of his pregnancy. Luckily, there were only two months left.  
Before he opened, he recognized the feeling of a dangerous soul. After Abigail told them what he was, Hannibal had been tempted to kill him. Will knew they shouldn't do anything stupid. Dexter Morgan and the widow of an old victim of his mate wanted him dead. Will was going to protect his family, and having Walt on their side might save them at some point.

“Walt, come in” he stepped aside and Walt ran to Abigail side. She threw her arms to him and he lifted her up.

“Let's go” Walt said to them.

Will turned and nodded to Hannibal, who was already hanging on his shoulder both bags. They followed Walt to his van, where he gently put her down on a pile of blankets. He'd been prepared for her Heat for weeks.

Hannibal opened the door for him and then closed it before sitting in the driver's seat. Hannibal went first and they were parking in front of his house in less than an hour. It was late and there was no traffic.

Hannibal told Walt to go upstairs, the third room to the left, where there was one window facing the garden. No one would see them from that bedroom.  
Will stood close to Hannibal, out of the room, where Abigail was writhing in pain, clutching the coverlet to her chest. One last look at Walt, and Hannibal handed him the bags where the supplies were. Walt nodded and Hannibal just held his gaze until the mercenary closed the door behind him.

Hannibal breathed in, straightened up and took Will's hand while he walked them out and into the car.

“She'll be fine” Will said, nodding to himself.

“She is too young” Hannibal lamented, looking back at his half-abandoned house.

Will squeezed his hand and brought it up to his lips.

“Let's go home” he suggested. “I'm tired and a back rub would be nice”

Hannibal relaxed and started the engine. “Only a back rub?”

“Anything can happen with me getting a back rub in your lap” Will said, pretending distraction.

 

The mood was ruined when they arrived home and saw an unknown car. Then, when the lights passed through the door and porch, a flash of red welcomed them. Will's heart shrank when he realized Freddie Lounds came to blame him for her mate's death.

“Stay in the car, Will”

 

Hannibal walked to Freddie Lounds with an expressionless face, almost bored. Freddie had bags under her black eyes (now almost gray) and she looked thinner than usual. 

“He sends his Alpha to face trouble” she spat, looking at the car.

“There's no need to offend my mate, Ms. Lounds. And Will doesn't feel well, since we took Abigail to a safe place until her Heat wears off” he got closer to her, hands clasped at the small of his back. “You should not alienate with my family. You hurt one, you hurt the pack. And you know what I'm capable of if my family gets hurt”

His tone did not leave room for objections, and the demon bit back whatever she had to respond. 

“I'm truly sorry about your mate. She was a sweet, loving woman, but Will is not behind her murder”

“I'm aware of your abilities, doctor Lecter” she started, her voice low. “Be aware of my rage and my resources if-”

“Don't menace me, Ms. Lounds” 

Hannibal held her gaze until she ran to her car and left their home. Will got out of the car only moments later and went immediately to his arms. His heart melted when Will rested his head on his shoulder and kissed his neck, thanking him. Hannibal stroked his back and led him into the house. The dogs welcomes his owner and sniffed Hannibal. The cats were the only ones to rub themselves on him.

“Dinner?” Hannibal asked and waited until Will nodded.

Hannibal took Will's baby bump in his hands and marveled at their son. He was restless that night and he knew it was because of Will's distress. Hannibal kissed him sweetly, his fingers running from neck to scalp, while his thumbs rubbed the lobe of his ears. Will moaned and his own mouth vibrated to the sound of it. Hannibal pushed gently and caressed his cheek. 

“Dinner first”

Will nodded reluctantly and entered their bedroom. Hannibal guessed he'd change into more comfortable clothes, and proved right when he emerged from the room in a pair of sweatpants, a short-sleeved shirt and a big hoodie under his arm.

“It's cold, Will” 

“Hormones, you see? I'm burning hot” he complained, sitting in a high stool in front of the counter. Will loved to see him cook, even when he didn't like to think of the ingredients.

As he cooked and moved around the kitchen, Hannibal was aware of Will's eyes following him. His hands when he sliced the meat, vegetables; and his face when he walked past him. His wings, ghostly in the dim light of the kitchen, rested behind him and made him look vulnerable. He wasn't. Will was, probably, stronger than him. And Hannibal relied on his mate's strength to bear his own sins and how much enjoyed them. Will could have left him the moment he knew what he was, but he didn't. Then he could have left and abort their baby when the condition of eating human meat was forced upon him. He didn't, either.

Hannibal passed behind Will and caressed his lower back with the back of his hand. Will smiled absently, one hand on the baby, the other tapping the counter.

He wondered if Abigail was fine, safe... and stopped in the middle of a slice. The strong smell of tomatoes and onions reached his nose.   
Maybe his new family warmed his heart. Maybe the need to protect them first, instead of himself was new, too.

 

Francis was so angry he couldn't think about anything else but Will Graham. Apparently, the idea of defiling his image, the art he created and the magnificence of his transformation was his.  
He was no one to do that. He would be even less when he dealt with him...

He started to search his name two hours ago and what he found wasn't disappointing at all. Special Agent Will Graham, Omega Angel, mated to renowned Doctor Hannibal Lecter, was expecting a baby and had to retire temporarily for healthy matters. He was a consultant to the FBI, profiling the most complicated and dangerous murderers and serial killers.  
Francis laughed at the irony. Graham depicted him as a joke on the news, but his mere presence told another story.

Francis also found he lived in Baltimore, in a lonely house with his mate, their adopted daughter and multiple dogs he'd rescued. He liked strayed creatures.

Dismayed, he discovered Will Graham had the bad habit of personally pursuing and catching every single murderer they investigated. 

“Better get rid of him...” he muttered, caressing the tail of the Dragon in his thigh.

 

Two days later, Abigail was good enough to call Will and Hannibal.

“Are you alright? Is he behaving?” asked Will. She smiled and turned to see Walt's exhausted body, laying on the bed.

“He's tired, and I'm fine, really”

Abigail blushed, thinking of everything that had happened since her parents left. The pain left the moment his hands were on her, both naked, and his mouth found a tender place in her neck. Then, after that, everything else escalated and the Heat had just subsided enough to think more clearly.

“Well, that's... good?” Will said, awkwardly.

“It's good” she replied, laughing. “Tell Hannibal to be calm, okay? I'm fine and I'll do whatever I want, not whatever others want” she said, like a good student.

“Perfect. I'll tell him later. He's at the office... two clients today”

“Oooh, you know how grumpy he's when he's home after two or more patients”

They talked for five more minutes until Will excused himself, because the dogs wanted to go out for a walk. Abigail left the room and walked down the stairs. The kitchen was dark but she knew it well. She poured cool water in a tall glass, filled another and put them both in a tray. She added two apples and cheese, then wet back to the bedroom. Walt was awake.

“You're an angel...” he marveled at her for bringing food.

Abigail smiled and sat on the bed, next to him.

“It's not too much but all the meat...” she trailed off, looking anywhere but him.

Walk took a bite and held her hand. She looked up to him, wondering why she wasn't already dead.

“Not all families are perfect” he smiled and kissed her cheek. 

 

Will took a sip of the orange juice he'd served for Hannibal and himself, and then opened a new folder.   
Hannibal was spreading more balsam cream in his hands, warming it up, and then applying it on his sore back. Will sighed in relief without turning his attention from the files in his hands and table. It was ridiculous. He'd never felt so frustrated in a case before this one. The Dragon was hard to catch and Will was growing more tired each day.

'[...]“Camlock Security” reported two incidents on the company, two weeks and one week before the crime. Both operators were questioned and discarded as accomplices'

Will re-read the paragraph and took the Leeds file, trying to find the pages where he'd seen “Camlock Security”, and found it twenty torturous seconds later.   
Hannibal, feeling his muscles stiffen, tilted his head and asked what's wrong.

“Here” Will muttered, more to himself. “It says here: 'CS & Co', that's Camlock Security and Company, 'reported an incident twelve days before the crime. A technician was sent, and finished two and a half hours later'”

“Did they interrogate the technician?”

“He's a temp, subcontracted by Camlock Security. '& Co' is what worries me...” Will took the report and ID of the worker. “He's self-employed and has been contracted by eight different security companies in the last year”

“Problematic?” Hannibal asked, resuming the massage.

Will scowled as he kept reading.

“Actually, no. He's very competent, and quick. There's no picture, but I have a name... Francis Dolarhyde”

“Do you think that's our man?”

“Maybe? Or maybe he's the right hand of the Dragon” Will said, then suddenly he knew. “Camlock Security is a company in advanced cameras and movement detectors”

“Wait, do you mean...?” Hannibal leaned in closer and took the file in his hand.

“The Dragon knew the houses perfectly and in both cases, the devices out of the houses were turned off, but not hacked. He knew the passwords and-”

“I'm calling Crawford” Hannibal stated, standing up.

Will took the file of the check, a black and white copy where the technician signed. There was a raw F. D. written on it, his serial number and a weak report of the job he'd done. 

“Are you the terrible Red Dragon, Mr. Dolarhyde?”

 

Francis didn't like to go to the office. It was always full of people he didn't care about. They were noisy and so vulgar it made him sick. They were all putrid, dirty creatures. They didn't deserve to be around Him.   
The Dragon burnt him inside. He wanted to get the job done as quick as possible. It was important and He didn't have time for human business. But his boss at the time called him but didn't specify why. 

Then he stopped in his tracks when he saw people in FBI uniform. They were all around the place, muttering in their radios and asking people. Many of them wouldn't know who Francis was, because he avoided the building as much as he could, but his boss and a few secretaries knew him.

Francis walked to the water server and filled a plastic cup while he looked over the room. There was a human talking to his boss, who seemed to be in charge. Then an FBI agent, a female Demon, and a pregnant Angel appeared. He wasn't wearing any FBI vest or jacket, but carried a weapon and a badge. 'Will Graham'

Francis almost ran to the other side of the room, next to the emergency exit, where he was secluded from their eyes, and popped his head enough to catch a glimpse of Graham.   
The articles were right... Will Graham had the bad habit of personally involve with the cases to the end.

Francis cursed and left the building, took a sports bag from his van and got out of the parking from the back door before the main entrance was full of armed FBI agents.  
He took the bus and, half an hour later, he was at the museum, where 'The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun' was exposed this weekend. Then it would go back to the Brooklyn Museum. 

What happened there, Francis saw it as a witness. The Dragon took his body and made him get to the secured room with the Curator, an elderly woman. She talked and talked until she took the painting and displayed it in a white, clean table. Francis, or the Dragon, put the woman down and hurried to consume the painting.   
It felt like a powerful stream of liquid electricity was shot in his veins. He could feel the power, almost taste it.  
When he finished, he felt the Dragon at his back moving, rearranging Himself, stretching, and Francis gave himself to Him. Now the Dragon and him were One.

There was nothing stopping them. They'd lost that chance, but there was someone who could destroy his legacy. 

“WILL GRAHAM MUST DIE” screamed the Dragon, and Francis shivered. 

The voice of the Dragon was in him, now. The Dragon's blood was his, too. And the Dragon's presence was intertwined with his.

 

Will was in a sour mood. They almost had him and he'd escaped right in front of him. He could feel him for a few moments, and then he was gone.  
Jack was driving, immerse in his own thoughts so he had time to re-evaluate their choices. They were going to the house of Francis Dolarhyde's grandmother, dead for 5 years now. 

“Ten minutes, Will”

“He'll try to protect the most valuable thing he has. We need to separate it from him, first” Will suggested.

They'd heard about the stealing of the painting. Team-3 was already looking at the cameras of the museum with Dolarhyde's boss to identify him. They would call soon and send a picture, Will hoped.

“How are things going?” Jack asked. 

“Fine, we're all fine” Will said.

“I've been harsh on you all these past months, especially on you, Will. I'm sorry” Jack said, in a softer tone.

Will frowned and looked at him.

“Well yes, you've been a bit of a dick lately” Will sneered. “It's not your fault, though... I've heard about Bella. I'm sorry”

“Thank you, Will” Jack was visibly uncomfortable. “A boy, then?” he asked, moments later.

“Yes” he smiled, a hand on his belly. He could feel his son moving less and less each day. “He's always restless and gives me all kinds of pains”

“Good! You've been a pain in my ass for years, now it's your turn”

They both laughed and relaxed until they reached a dusty path on a side of the road. It lead to a mansion, with a dead garden, almost abandoned in the cold weather. A dry fountain, rusty and surrounded by more dead plants formed a roundabout. Jack's car and the other five parked there.

“You need to stay here, Will” Jack commanded, loading a combat shotgun.

“But-”

“He's a sadistic bastard, and you must stay safe here. Katz volunteered to stay in the car with you”

“I don't need a babysitter”

“You need a leash tied to that seat but your mate would probably kill me if I did it”

Jack left and Will huffed, annoyed, but stayed behind. He waited until Beverly got in the car and secured the doors.

“Your gun?” 

“Here” Will tapped his side and looked at the big, menacing house. 'This is where all began for you, right?' Will wondered. 

Jack threw the door down and two units entered to clear the way.

“I have a bad feeling about all this” Will mused out loud.

“What do you mean?”

“Don't you feel it? It's like the calm before the storm. The stillness seems unnatural”

Beverly shrugged and told via radio they were fine. Will saw Jack nodding and then he followed the third unit inside the house.  
The calm was over when two shots and a thump were heard. Will jumped and ran -as fast as he could- to the door. An agent held him before reaching the staircase and they both fell on their knees.

“JACK! JACK GET OUT OF THERE! GET THEM OUT!!” Will screamed. 

There were more shooting, boots pounding the wooden floor, Jack's men screaming orders. Then the man holding Will let him go and called on the radio for backup. Will couldn't even stand, he'd hurt his ankle on the fall and it was throbbing angrily. 

Everyone saw the fire crackling through the window upstairs, then the smoke. When the window exploded, one minute later, the FBI units in the house started to run out of it, coughing, half blind and stumbling to the floor and friends. It was chaos.

“JACK! WHERE'S JACK?!”

Jack came out with a hand holding a wet towel to his face, and pressing his bloody side with the other.

“Help him! Help Crawford!”

When Katz and another agent ran to get Jack out of the smoke, Will felt someone took him up and out to the cold ground, and carried him to an ambulance. Will hadn't heard the sound of ambulances but the place was full of them, every FBI car and van being moved away.

They put a blanket over him and a nurse started to examine his ankle, while a doctor put a stethoscope to his belly.

“I'm fine” he snapped to them. “Go get them! I'm fine!”

Will tried to shoo them away but they just shushed him. Will saw Jack on a stretcher being attended with an oxygen mask and sighed, seeing his friend safe, for the moment.

“We need to find him, we need- Ouch!” the doctor injected him something that stung in his forearm, wrist and thumb. “What the hell?”

“You're extremely anxious Mr. Graham” said the nurse, a young demon. “This will calm you down”

“But-”

Then the house fell, sending a hot wave of smoke that made his eyes itchy. The paramedics, nurses and doctors made everyone go back and Will just plopped down on the stretcher, too tired and relaxed to protest or help. Five seconds later he was asleep.

 

Hannibal picked him up in the hospital and had to restrain himself from killing everyone involved in Will's state. 

“Will” Hannibal breathed, seeing his mate dressing up, still sitting on the bed. He walked up to him and embraced him.

“I'm fine, really” Will said, but rested his head on his shoulder and embraced him back.

“When Ms. Katz called and told me you were here...”

“It's okay” Will kissed his cheek.

“You're not going after him, Will. This is ridiculous”

“Doesn't matter. They found the body”

Hannibal nodded and pulled himself from Will, checking for wounds. Then he touched Will's round belly, and felt their son alive and healthy.

“Let's go home”

Hannibal nodded and helped him out of bed. They walked hand in hand, Will leaning most of his weight on him. 

“Mr. Graham!” said a doctor. “I've got a message for you. It's from Jack Crawford. He's in room 302, and out of danger, but sedated. Earlier he said he'd seen the devil”

She seemed confused but amused. Will seemed to want to scream at her but restrained at the last moment. He just nodded and trembled against his side.

Hannibal made his two sets of wings appear, displaying them for everyone to see, and put two wings around Will, securing him. When Hannibal closed the door for him, now in the car, his wings disappeared and he started the engine the moment he put on the belt.

The trip was silent but comfortable.

Winston and the dogs barked and jumped for Will's attention, as if they knew their owner had been in danger and, somehow, they asked for forgiveness.

They walked the dogs for a few minutes and then went back home, were it was as warm and cozy as always. Hannibal didn't miss his house, because a house is nothing if it doesn't mean home, too. Home was Will. Home was Abigail. Home was love.

“Hannibal” Will stared at him, held his gaze for a few moments and then closed the distance between them to kiss him sweetly. “Let's celebrate we're alive and there's one more villain dead in the world”

“Couldn't agree more” Hannibal smiled and took him to their bedroom.

“You don't know how much I want to ride you” Will whispered in his ear, unbuttoning his shirt.

“But you can't, not yet”

Will captured his bottom lip and bit hard, making him moan and bite back. They ended in bed, Will on his side, full of his cock, taking it excruciatingly slow, moaning around two of Hannibal’s fingers. Back arched and neck bared, Will took Hannibal’s hand and brought it down to his cock. Hannibal pulled and squeezed gently, not breaking his rhythm. Mouth sucking his mate's neck, feeling his pulse escalate, lapping at the small drops of blood he drew.

Will bit his fingers two seconds before he came over the bed, painting their blue sheets in glossy white.

Hannibal came right behind, too sensitive trapped in tight, clenching muscles, and pulled out immediately. Will groaned in annoyance, but let him manhandle him on his back. Hannibal leaned on his knees and took a few drops of semen in his fingers, then painted both of Will's hard nipples and took one in his mouth. Will moaned and buried his fingers in Hannibal’s hair, pulling him impossibly closer. Gasping when Hannibal sucked hard, Will's eyes rolled up.

Hannibal took the other nipple, smeared in his come, and did the same while fingering Will's sore, tender entrance. Will came again and his arms fell on his sides, limp, just as the rest of him.

“Have we celebrated enough?”

“Not yet” Will beamed, closing his eyes and intertwining their fingers.

 

Two days later, Abigail came back.

They let her take a long shower, even though she'd had one that same morning, and then she took a nap until dinner time. She ate voraciously and chatted about all and nothing in particular. She told them how tired she was and how good it felt the Heat after a few hours with Walt.

“Do you want to go to sleep?” Will asked.

“Actually...” she doubted and blushed. Then she glanced at Hannibal and played with her fork and some peas. “Is there any chance we go... hunting?”

Hannibal straightened his back and took her hand. “We can do whatever you want, Abigail”

Both of them looked at Will for approval.

“Don't even look at me” Will shrugged and stood up, making his way to the bedroom. “Go wherever you want but you clean this kitchen before you leave”

Hannibal and Abigail tried to hide their smiles.

“Psycho family...” Will muttered before closing the door behind him.

 

One month after the contractor bought the house of the infamous Francis Dolarhyde, aka the Red Dragon, she realized what a great mistake she'd made. The place was in the middle of nowhere, but every day, curious people and bold paparazzis entered the place to please their inner adventurer selves and annoy her.

Her heels made it difficult to walk but she managed to keep her composure when she reached the man in a black hoodie.

“Sir, you shouldn't be here. This is private property”

“Sure. I was leaving already” he laughed and she caught a glimpse of a scarred face, burnt. 

The man limped but left the place in a steady pace. She shivered until she felt save at home, with her husband and daughter. She tried to forget the face of nightmares she'd seen that day.

 

Freddie had been locked at home for almost one month now, terrified. She wasn't alone, but she was close to death each day that passed in his company. He barely talked to her and when he did it was to yell or command the craziest of all things.  
He did talk a lot with someone who wasn't there, and cried and kicked at her furniture after a tantrum that could last hours. He muttered things like “he's dead”, “he burnt and died”, “it should be me” or “he'll pay for it”.

After two weeks or pure panic and confusion, he ordered her to turn on the TV and saw the news. Her horrific companion was Francis Dolarhyde, the Red Dragon. The monster that killed her dear Wendy. She wanted to cry but was too afraid of making him angry. His black eyes, distinctive of Demons, were of a smoky white she'd never seen before. Only one corner of his severed left eye was still black.

That day he left the house for the first time, not without menacing her first. Of course, she nodded and curled up in her couch and waited for him to leave.

She cried and cursed her fate. She didn't know why she was so afraid of him. He took everything she loved from her and now she was alone. Wendy was gone and she had nothing to live for. Why would she be afraid of him?

She wanted him to come back so she could face him and provoke her death. Why did he leave, anyways? 

Freddie dismissed it until that same night, when the smoke of her breath in the cold hair shone in the moonlight. The moonlight that made Wendy's hair look like silver. No more Wendy's lovely hair under the moonlight.

Moonlight. The Red Dragon killed every moonlight. And who was left to punish? 

“Graham”

 

Nine months pregnant and one left, and Will was literally eating all food in the kitchen. His sore back was a minor problem compared to the hunger that gnawed at him every two hours or less after the last meal.   
Hannibal was amused and Abigail terrified. 

“What if one day he just eats us?” she half joked.

Hannibal was more that happy to dedicate his time to Will's cravings at any hour of the day. Or night. Even now, with Will sleeping like a human, his grumbling stomach woke them up until he was satisfied.   
Abigail called his doctor, Neal Decroix, and he reassured her telling her it was the usual behavior of a pregnant Angel. 

One night, hours after his mate and Abigail left, Will enjoyed a movie night with his dogs and cats when the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Will, listen to me! You need to run! Call Crawford and tell him HE'S ALIVE!”

“What? Who?”

Freddie started to cry and apologize but then the line went off and there was a thump at the front door.

Will's dogs started to bark and show their teeth. Will took the gun from his jacket and his phone from the counter of the kitchen. He dialed the FBI's link to his house and an operator asked him if he'd been attacked or believed he was in danger.

“There's someone out in front of my house” Will said. “Tell Jack Crawford to get this call and to wait. I'll keep my phone in my pocket and if he thinks I'm in danger...”

“Of course, Mr. Graham” she complied and, two seconds later, Will saw blood under the door, pooling in front of his boots. “Stay” he ordered his dogs.

Will opened the door and gasped when he saw Freddie's corpse bleeding in his porch. He panicked but tried to control himself. There was a phone in her hand.

If Dolarhyde was still alive, he wanted him to be afraid, to be so scared his thoughts were a mess in his head. Will knew better and calmed down in a matter of seconds. If his life was in danger, he was going to fight.

Closing the door, Will got out of the house. He heard his dogs whining but he needed them to stay safe. He held the gun in front of him and breathed as quietly as he could, trying to hear footsteps or anything out of the ordinary.  
Then he saw the lights of a car and felt both dismayed and relieved it was Hannibal. Abigail got out first and, as she approached, she lifted her hand to salute him.

Dolarhyde appeared out of nowhere and took Abigail from behind. A knife on her neck, right under her scar, and the other hand holding her arms to her sides. He was so big he could crush her.  
The dogs started to bark again and to scratch the door and window. Hannibal ran from the car to Abigail but Dolarhyde pressed into her neck and she screamed. Hannibal stopped and put his arms up, palms to him.

“Leave her alone!” Will screamed, voice trembling.

“YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME!” Francis screamed back. “I WAS TRANSFORMING AND YOU KILLED HIM!”

“Dolarhyde, let her go and I'll let you live” Will said.

He had Dolarhyde's shoulder clear to shoot, but he could still use his other hand to slice her throat.

“YOU DAMNED ANGEL ARE NOTHING! HOW DID YOU DO IT?” he started to cry in rage, but his hand never faltered. “NOW I'LL TAKE HER FROM YOU!!”

When he lifted his hand, both Hannibal and Will screamed for him to stop him, but Abigail, faster than ever, twisted her wrist and produced a short knife out of nowhere, then stabbed Dolarhyde's thigh with it. He screamed in pain but shot Will in his shoulder before falling to the ground.

“NO!” 

Will heard Hannibal scream, but there was only pain and his arm was colder than it should be. Will wondered why he was looking up at the ceiling at the porch when Hannibal’s concerned face appeared in front of him. He felt pressure on his shoulder and then Hannibal’s voice again. When Will turned his head to one side he saw Freddie's dead eyes staring back at him. Then Abigail shoes entered his house and the dogs went out. Two licked his face and he heard howling noises and screams, and barking and more shouting. 

He tried to stay focused on his mate's face but only darkness surrounded him.

 

“Call an ambulance and Crawford! Go Abigail, go!” he ordered. Her daughter hurried to follow his orders and, five minutes later, the exact moment Will fainted, he heard the cars and the ambulance.

Abigail had blood on her blouse and he followed the trail to her neck. The scar was open.

“Go and take care of it, as I taught you”

“Will is...?”

“He fainted, Abigail. It's just the shock. He'll be fine”

When the ambulances parked he was going to call them but stopped, more terrified than ever. The smell reached his nose and he found it hard to swallow. It wasn't blood. It was the baby.

“He's giving birth...” he muttered. 

He turned around and saw the doctors stare at the bloody pulp that was once Francis Dolarhyde. Will's dogs had finished him. 

“My mate is giving birth! He's been shot and he's in shock, please help him and take him to a hospital”

“How much-?”

Before he finished the question, Hannibal was already answering.

“He isn't due for another month. He's an Omega Angel and it's his first pregnancy. He's just been shot and he needs a c-section so take him to the hospital”

The doctors took Will and carried him to the ambulance.

“Are you coming in?”

“Go, I'll stay here and tell Crawford what's happened” said Abigail. “Take care of dad, will you?”

Hannibal nodded and sat in the ambulance, taking a pair of gloves. He helped the paramedics until they arrived the hospital. Then, he just waited in an empty room, crying for the lives of his mate and son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, don't kill me.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will wakes up to find something's missing, Abigail gets some, there's a new surprise (if you haven't read 'Hannibal', you know the sequel, then I'll explain later), and Will and Hannibal learn a few things.
> 
> Enjoy.

Will drifted in a whirlwind of bright lights, loud noises, searing pain and, finally, a dark and peaceful bliss of dreamless sleep. Why? He did not care. He was comfortably resting in a warm bed, and felt like floating. There was the humming of machines but his brain diminished it. It wasn't important.

His eyelids wouldn't open. They felt too heavy and, anyways? What was the point? He was enjoying some peace. He was tired, but it felt good. Like the way you feel after a marathon. You're tired but content. 

Next time he regained consciousness, he felt more awake. But it didn't improve his comfortable state. Now he felt his shoulder and forearm burning, and remembered a bullet went through it. Maybe it hurt so much for some shards of bullet. Then the morphine was understandable. 

The feeling of floating was dissipating, but there was something not quite right... he lifted his good hand to his middle to check his baby. He didn't find any belly. Then he started to panic. Where was his baby? Why wasn't he pregnant anymore?

“Mmmph” he tried to call a nurse or a doctor, anyone... but nothing came out of his mouth.

Will tried to open his eyes and this time he could easily. He blinked a few times to clear his view and found himself in a cozy hospital room. No, it wasn't a hospital room. It was Hannibal’s house. It was the same room they used when Abigail was recovering.

Once he checked his neck and head weren't injured too, he tried to lift his head as much as he could and panicked when he found his belly wasn't round... 

“Oh God no...” he whispered, voice cracking and shoulders shaking with uncontrollable sobs.

He'd lost their baby. He'd been reckless, endangering himself and his baby and now, because of his eagerness, his wanting to catch the most dangerous of them all, he was suffering his loss. It was on him. He wished he'd died too so he shouldn't have to face his devastated mate, his little broken family.

The machines were going crazy, beeping and lighting. Then Will heard rushed footsteps and the door flew open. Hannibal, in nightwear and a robe, came in panting. Will barely saw him with tears in his eyes.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...” 

Will held his arms. He wanted Hannibal comforting him even though he wasn't worth it. 

“I'm sorry I killed our baby” weeping, Will hugged his mate, burying his face in his chest.

“Will, Will no, stop” Hannibal shushed him, petting his head and stroking his back in soothing circles. But Will kept babbling how sorry he was.

“It's all my fault. One more month, that's all I had to wait but-” he cried.

Then he was pushed back and forced to look at his mate. He stopped crying but his shoulders, even the damaged one, kept shaking.

“Just try to breath- no, don't speak. Please, trust me” Hannibal said, kissing his forehead.

Will whined and cried when Hannibal left. He looked at his hands, fists in pure frustration, and watched his tears soak them until his mate was back. He stood by his side but Will couldn't lift his head, ashamed.

“Will please, there's someone here eager to meet you”

Will, not believing what he was told, turned his head up, slowly. First, a white blanket. Then a bundle of pink skin and the purest white of beautiful, delicate wings.

His son was alive and this time, his tears were the happiest on Earth and Heaven. His mate was smiling at him and offered Will the baby as he sat by his side. Now shaking with joy, Will took his baby in his good arm and peeled the blanket away with his other hand to look at his son. He felt Hannibal’s arm around his shoulders, minding his injure, but squeezing affectionately. 

His son wore a white jumpsuit with blue wings everywhere. And his hands, tiny pink fists. His round face and chubby cheeks made him laugh and he leaned his head on his mate's. 

“Our son is beautiful” Hannibal said, beaming.

“I was so scared” Will confessed, placing his hand on his baby's tiny belly, feeling him breathe. He felt Hannibal wiping his tears off his cheek and leaned into his hand.

“He's safe, now. I'll tell Abigail you're awake, then I'm calling Neal Decroix”

“Okay” Will answered distractedly, thumbing his son's tender cheek. 

“He attended the delivery, Will”

Will looked up and nodded.

“He had to perform a last minute c-section because it was a forced birth. The shock of the shooting provoked it”

“I understand... But he's fine, right?” he held the baby close to him and leaned back, resting.

 

“He is premature, but there's no damage. You've been asleep for almost three days and our son is fine. Just smaller than the average, but he's eating perfectly” Hannibal informed him, caressing his son's head.

“You're not giving him...” Will muttered, giving him a knowing glance.

“No, of course not” Hannibal reassured him, looking away.

He stood up and walked to the door. He stopped for a second but then finally left, and Will knew he'd hurt his mate.

“You're so stupid, Will” he admonished himself, cradling his baby.

The baby slept soundly, barely moving. His breathing was even and Will smiled when he made a gargling noise when the little one stirred. Then his eyes caught sight of something unusual.   
His baby had two sets of wings.

“No way” Will said, amazed.

He took the baby and gently turned him on his belly, resting on his forearm and hand. Will pulled the blanket away and saw his little wings spasm and randomly stretching. Two pairs -one bigger than the other- of perfectly formed white wings.

When he looked up, mouth open and still stunned, he saw Abigail -her mottled wings folded at her back. She gave him a full smile before coming up to him and embrace him and the baby, with her arms and wings. She placed kisses all over his face and mumbled how she knew he would be fine.

Finally she pulled back and sat by his side.

“We were so worried” she said, looking at him. “Hannibal hasn't slept since you were taken to the hospital and stood by your side when they let him in. He was the first to hold your son. Also, I almost had to threat him to eat” Abigail smiled and took his free hand.

Will took her hand and kissed it.

“Thank you for taking care of him”

She shrugged and kissed the top of the baby's head.

“You have to name our son” said Hannibal.

Will looked up and saw him entering the room with a tray full of food, milk and juice.

“True... But I-”

Will stared at his son and realized the baby name list was forgotten. He'd put it behind more important matters and now his son was three days old and nameless.

“You name him” Will said to Abigail, who jumped to her feet and stared at him. “If it's okay with you” he said, addressing Hannibal. 

His mate nodded and put the tray on the bedside table, then stepped beside Abigail. She crossed her arms and thought for a full minute before slowly smiling and looking at them.

“Noah” 

 

Seeing Will was eager to go back home, that evening, Abigail and Hannibal packed a few things and, as she put the baby in the car, Hannibal took Will in his arms and helped him down the stairs. The scar across his belly still had fresh stitches and without the morphine, they were starting to pull and hurt.

Hannibal noticed Will's hand holding his post-baby bump -barely noticeable, as Will was lean- as if to protect it. Then his hand fell limp to his side.

The trip was light and Will was happy and looked back every two minutes to check on his newborn. Once home, Will told Hannibal to hold the baby to his dog's eye level so they could meet him. Hannibal hesitated but took a knee to the floor and held the baby to the dogs, but close to himself, in case something happened. 

Hannibal wasn't sure of their reaction at first as they approached with their tails high and ears up. But he relaxed when the dogs started to sniff his son, Noah, and happily move their tails. Soon the dogs left to greet Will and Abigail.

“I'll put him to sleep, you rest on the couch and wait for Decroix” Hannibal said, taking the baby to their bedroom.

The room was warm and dark but he could see perfectly the wooden cradle, by the side of the bed. He gently placed Noah on his belly, careful not to hurt his delicate wings, and then put two blankets perfectly tucked to ensure his comfort and warmth. 

He looked at him for a second, smiled and then left the room.

Hannibal wasn't used to babies and he'd never seen himself having one after Clarice. Yet here he was, taking care of the most precious thing in the world. The baby he and his mate made, and he realized how perfect they were. This child lit another light in his dark soul.

Checking Will's comfort on the couch, Hannibal knocked on Abigail room and waited for her answer before opening the door. She was putting on a coat.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. Now that Will is home and alright I have to go to see Walt” she explained.

“Be careful” he warned her.

“Always” Abigail answered with a knowing smirk and kissed his cheek before leaving. 

Hannibal heard Will telling her his same word and smiled to himself. At least, he reassured himself, they could be decent parents.

“Noah?” Will asked when Hannibal was closer.

“Sleeping. You should sleep too, once Decroix leaves” 

“Sure. Sit with me?” Will patted the couch and Hannibal nodded, sitting by his side, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

Will's legs were crossed under him and his knee poked into his thigh, but Will's warmth and smell were so intoxicating a little discomfort was bearable. Will's hormones were still high and they gave him the distinctive scent of a new mother or, in his case, a new father. His skin was tender, his lips a reddish pink and he knew his midsection would be soft for months. Sex was out of the question. His condition was still delicate and he was tired. Also, the stitches were fresh and he knew how they could hurt.

“I'm sorry for earlier” Will said.

Hannibal frowned and tried to remember what Will did to him but found nothing.

“What do you mean?”

“I...” Will sighed and tried again. “I implied you fed our baby with cannibal food. And now I say it out loud it sounds just as ridiculous as before”

Hannibal nodded and knew Will had the right to be worried for his tendencies and how they affected Noah now.

“It's forgotten, Will”

“I'm the worst mate” Will lamented.

“Don't say that” Hannibal lifted his chin with two fingers and made him look into his eyes. “You'll be questioning my issues all your life and you'll be worried. It's my fault and I'm sorry for dragging you into this life”

Will shook his head and sighed.

“I'm too tired to argue, okay? Tell me what happened after he shot me”

Hannibal swallowed and felt his heartbeat race. Unfortunately, those memories were now imprinted in his Mind Palace and would never be forgotten.

“Your dogs came out and while you were on the floor, bleeding out of your shoulder, they killed Dolarhyde. Then the Police, the FBI and three ambulances came. I was so scared for you two I almost-” Hannibal stopped, swallowing hard and resumed his telling of the story. “Jack assumed the command and the Team made a quick job, or so Abigail has told me. I was with you all the time until they took you to surgery. Decroix came in and while they took the bullet out of your shoulder he and two nurses took the baby out”

“Rough night, huh?”

“Yes. Later Neal told me the delivery passage hadn't formed yet because it was too soon and c-section was the only way for you two to survive”

His fingers grazed Will's lower belly, where the healing scar was, and kissed Will's temple.

“They said you lost so much blood... The baby was premature but Neal is the best in Nephilim birth so he was safe from the beginning, but you? They kept you in surgery for eight hours before you were stabilized”

By the time he ended the story, Will was clutching Hannibal’s shirt so hard he almost popped a button out.

“I almost die”

“Dr. Tara Verger saved you”

“Verger? The Verger family? The richest and oldest family of Demons in the USA?”

Hannibal nodded but said nothing else. The Verger family, farmers from the beginning, had built a fortune on daily work, good management and a lucky strike of investment thanks to Mason Verger's father, former CEO of the company. Mason Verger, his son, even after his “accident” had a firm dominion of the Verger company. 

Mason Verger had a sister, Margot, whom Verger molested and raped as a child. Margot was his bodyguard when Hannibal met her and he immediately saw the fear in her eyes. He was Margot's friend and protector by the end of the summer and she ended up telling him all she was suffering since she was nine. She told him Mason's secrets, from the Summer Camps and the kids Mason raped, to his manipulative nature, making money on dirty business with dangerous people.   
Hannibal, by coincidence, was treating a mother whose kid had been raped in a camp. He could not tolerate such thing so he told his mate and convinced Clarice he had to seduce Verger and then make him pay for his crimes.   
When the torture didn't end with Verger's death, he had to make a cover up story and Clarice was acclaimed by the FBI and the media as the agent who caught a famous and feared child molester. Mason Verger didn't stay in prison long, though, and got out after recovering from those terrible injuries. He had to give Margot the highest percentage of the company and he retired with what he had left from his part and his father's last will, to a mansion out in the countryside. 

Margot and her mate, Judy -an Omega Angel- were side by side recovering the wealth they'd lost with the scandal. They had a baby thirty years ago, Tara Verger, the doctor who saved Hannibal's mate.

Hannibal smiled sadly and remembered he had to pay Verger a visit, to remind him why he was still alive. 

 

Five minutes later, the dogs were barking at the door before Decroix knocked energetically. Hannibal opened the door and greeted him with a faint smile and a single nod. Nothing else was required of them, after all they'd been through.  
His friend Neal shook Will's hand and started to ask him basic questions about how he felt. Will was coming back to himself now and he felt all his body aching and tired each minute. Neal told him it was normal and he would experience more pain and tiredness for at least one week before feeling normal again.   
Decroix touched his belly with Will's permission and hummed to himself for two minutes before leaning back and smiling.

“All good inside. The premature birth didn't damage his womb and internal organs. Your wings will obey your commands in a week or two, be patient. And no sex. Nothing extenuating until you feel better and those stitches are out. You're strong so you don't need to go to the hospital to take them off. Just ask Hannibal to get rid of them when he gives his approval”

Will nodded and held his hand out for him to take.

“Take him to Noah, please” Will asked him.

“Follow me?”

Neal nodded enthusiastically and followed him to the bedroom. Hannibal opened the curtains and he stared at his son, sleeping peacefully.

“Keep him sleeping on his belly for two months, until he starts to call his wings in and out. They're big for his age and size, so they're heavy for him and fragile until he gains weight and strength”

“Very well, then”

“Now let's go back to your mate. There's one more thing” Neal chirped holding one finger to his nose. “Will, dear, Will... how do you feel about lactation?”

Will, taken aback for the sudden question and intensity, frowned and opened his mouth but closed it again, not having an answer. 

“I honestly didn't think about that yet. I've been too busy”

“Sure, Will. Well, the thing is... your hormones are acting normally and according to your condition, but your body has yet to catch up and realize you already gave birth, so that's why you're not lactating. So, when the time comes... could be soon, could be in ten days or so, your breasts will swell a little, not as much as a bodybuilder” he laughed. “Anyways, your breasts will hurt for two days, two days before you can feed your son with your own formula. Sore nipples and your appetite will skyrocket. You'll see how much he's going to grow and get chubby once you breast-feed him.”

Will just nodded, leaned back and stared at the muted TV, thinking of all the information he'd received. 

Decroix left and Hannibal helped Will out of the sofa and into the bed, next to their son. Hannibal took off his clothes and put on a robe before slipping into the sheets with Will. He was on his back, aware of the pain he'd suffer if he was in any other posture, and Hannibal lay on his side, head on Will's shoulder, with a hand resting near the stitches, over his navel. 

“He has your wings” Will muttered.

“I'm not the only creature in this world with that mutation, then” Hannibal replied.

“Shut up, they're amazing” Will pulled at his hair playfully and then buried his fingers in it.

Hannibal felt so good he was slowly falling asleep. Four days awake and three sleepless nights, guarding his mate and newborn. Now they were both safe. Now he could rest.

With a final effort, he called for his wings and put two over Will.

 

Walt let Abigail in and waited for her to sit before asking why she was here.

“My brother and father are fine, so you can stop patrolling around our houses”

“You caught me” he laughed nervously, trying to act unaffected. “You know? If you wanted to be trained to be like me...”

“But I don't”

“Yeah I know”

It actually hurt and confused Walt how Abigail came into his life but refused to stay even after all they'd been through. Still, if she decided he should go and break the deal, which would be the first time he did that, Walt should go. Not because she and her family were practically invincible, but he was actually terrified of Hannibal Lecter. The Pazzi widow and Dexter Morgan warned him but didn't know exactly what kind of person he was. He wasn't a person, though. He was Satan.

“Well, my lady” he said, bowing his head “I will stop right away”

“Good” she said, looking away. “By the way, thank you for taking care of me during the Heat”

“It's alright. You don't owe me anything”

“I know, but... I said I didn't want a mate. I still don't want to be mated and bonded: I'm too young. But I could use a friend”

Walt smiled and nodded. 

“That's actually very kind, Abigail”

“It's not kindness” she replied, stepping closer to him. “I see how lost and lonely you are. I've seen it before and believe me, someone by your side can save you”

“Do you really think I need to be saved?”

“From yourself? Yeah”

Walt nodded. “Okay, then. What do friends do?”

“In this case? I don't know, help each other?”

“You're not very good at this, you know?” he joked and she actually laughed.

“No, I am not. But only because I've only had fake friends that ended up dead, so I plan to keep you out of trouble, to begin with our new status”

Walt agreed and was going to ask her to go out when the doorbell rang. He frowned and put a finger to his lips, telling her to keep quiet.

“Hide” he whispered, and she tiptoed to the bathroom but left the door ajar. 

Walt opened the door, one hand in his belt, fingers grazing a knife. Dexter Morgan stormed in the room, red-faced and completely crazy. He pulled a gun out of his jeans and aimed at his chest. Walt had no other choice but to hold his arms up in the air. 

“What do you think you're doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why is Lecter alive?”

“I told you it could take a while” Walt answered.

“Bullshit! I know you've been screwing the girl. That maniac went through a Heat last week and you fucked her. I saw you in the house with her. Now you're going to call her, make her come here and we're going to tell her daddy to come, too. Then you're fired”

As he talked, Walt realized he wasn't going to do anything Morgan was saying and he started to circle the room, making him move until his back was to the bathroom. Then he stopped.

“Alright, man, just let me grab my phone and she'll be here in a second now”

He hoped Abigail heard and he felt his heart go crazy when the door opened slowly and there was Abigail, as silent as a shadow, and a thin wire circling her hands, tying them one to the other. She held her arms up and before her and then the wire was around Morgan's neck. His gun fell to the floor and he tried to get away, choking. His elbows tried to hit her sides but she was too thin, too agile for him. Walt stared mesmerized as his life was being taken from him. Slowly, second after second, and then a red line around his neck. The blood fell two seconds later like a waterfall, from neck to shirt, soaking it. Soon he stopped fighting, and as he fell to the floor, dead, her red hands relaxed and let the wire go.   
Abigail was panting, too shaken to even move, she leaned into the wall and looked at him.

“Walt” she breathed, and held her hand out for him.

Walt swallowed and, like an obedient slave, he walked the small distance between them and took her hand. She pulled hard and shoved her body to his. He realized two seconds late he was being kissed, but felt like he was being devoured. 

She pushed him back, tripped with Dexter's body and they both fell. Abigail bit his lip while she fumbled with the fly of his jeans. He groaned when she took him in her hand and the only thing he could do was shake under her. She straddled his hips and lifted her skirt, looking at him. She lifted an eyebrow when he just stared back. 

His hands finally had a mission, and they were on her thighs as soon as he regained control of his brain. 

“Don't play with me” she growled in his ear, taking his hand and guiding his fingers between her legs.

Walt caressed her with two fingers before noticing she was wet enough for his cock. She guided his fingers inside her and kissed him, moaning and writhing. When she had enough, she pulled them out and just sat on his cock. He moaned when she started to move, just as passionately as the way she behaved in her Heat.

Her hips danced on him until she took once again his hand and made him stroke her clitoris until both of them climaxed. It was quick, rough and just as good as a slow one. 

“I think I know one more kinky secret about you” he laughed.

 

Will woke up when he heard his baby crying. Before he could open his eyes, Hannibal was already up and on his way to attend to his son. Will sighed and waited for his mate to come back to bed. Once Noah was fed and changed, he went back to sleep.

Will wasn't sure he would actually lactate. He'd never seen an Angel doing it, because Angels were very discreet with their biology. Will was raised by humans, and though they'd explained how his body would grow and function later, they'd never said anything about lactating. Male humans didn't get pregnant nor lactate, of course. He knew it was normal but it never occurred to him he would...

“Are you okay?” Hannibal asked.

“Just thinking”

“What troubles you?”

“Human issues”

When he turned he laughed at the confused look his mate gave him.

“Lactation”

“Well, it's not a curse” Hannibal reassured him and Will took his hand to show him he appreciated it. “You'll get used to it. But if you don't want to-”

“I want to” he interrupted. “If Noah will get stronger this way, then there's no other option”

“Good. Now let me make you breakfast”

Before Hannibal got out of bed, Will took his wrist to stop him.

“We need to talk about food. He no longer needs the 'special diet' and I'd love to stop consuming it. Humans, Demons and Angels should not be my...”

“Will I-”

“I'm not asking you to stop doing it, Hannibal” Will sighed and rubbed his eyes. “You do what you do because it's in you, in your nature or something else. I'm not asking you to change because I fell in love with you the way you are. No more and no less”

He tried to explain himself further, but Hannibal nodded and told him he understood, and he wouldn't cook the same food for Will.

 

The next few days were placid for Will. He had to recover from two surgeries, get stronger, and heal both wounds. He took care of his newborn when Hannibal let him out of bed for a short time. Every night and morning Abigail walked the dogs and then left to be with Walt.   
Jack Crawford, Alana Bloom and Beverly Katz visited him one evening and had dinner. They thanked and congratulated Will for catching the Red Dragon, get a bullet through his shoulder and surviving a premature birth.   
They told Will no one would press charges against him and his dogs for killing Francis Dolarhyde. In fact, not a single attorney or judge would say a word against Will Graham. He'd become a hero.

When they left, Will tossed in bed as much as the wound in his lower belly allowed, thinking of the Dragon, Freddie and Wendy, and all the victims. He wasn't a hero. He was the guy caught and killed a murderer after getting shot. That wasn't brave. He'd been scared to death and he wished Dolarhyde's death more than anyone.

A week passed and Hannibal’s daily care of Will's stitches made possible to heal quickly. Will managed to stay quiet while Hannibal worked on him. Then he applied a homemade poultice of herbs and balms that helped with the pain.  
Only three days later, Will started to feel more like himself. He walked around the house, walked the dogs with Abigail and helped Hannibal with the baby. He ended up exhausted by the end of the day and had to sleep at least eight hours, like an average human. But he was getting better every day. Stronger. Just like Noah.

Noah was a quiet baby. He cried only when he was hungry or needed a change. His wings started to look stronger, too. And he finally started to look curious around him. His eyesight was developing fast and every color had him mesmerized.   
Will's dogs loved the baby and every night Hannibal had to zigzag between at least three dogs guarding the baby's cradle. Before he started to cry, the dogs whined and Hannibal woke up.

Some nights, Will loved to watch quietly how his mate cradled and hummed to their son until he fell asleep. Then he came back to bed and held Will close. 

 

A few more days later, Will told Hannibal he was going back to work next day. Hannibal refused to even listen to it but Will wouldn't change his mind. He needed his work. Needed to stay occupied until he healed completely.

“What about Noah?”

“You take care of him until I'm back” Will answered.

“No, I'm taking Noah with us”

“Excuse me, did you say 'us'?”

Hannibal’s straightened his back and nodded.

“I'll be around the building and close to you between classes”

“You just decided that, right?” Will asked, irritated.

“Well, you seem too preoccupied to be busy rather than getting better and rest. So I assume responsibility”

“Are you implying I don't look after myself?”

“No, I'm telling you”

Will was going to reply a very nasty response when their baby started to cry loud. They forgot their argument and Will took Noah in his arms, telling him it was okay, soothing him with his words and reaching out with his soul to calm him down.

“He doesn't like our fighting” Will sighed. 

“He's going to be as empathic and emotional as you are” Hannibal sentenced. And even when his tone was of amazement, Will couldn't help but feeling bad for his son.

“Well, I'm not letting him suffer what I suffered as a child, knowing there was something wrong with me but no one telling me what it was”

 

Next day Will let Hannibal accompany him to work. Everyone knew him now and they all tried to get a piece of what happened that night. They all received the same answer: 'read the official report: it isn't classified'  
The bluntness of his commentaries didn't diminished their enthusiasm and every class he had that day, all students stood up and Will received an ovation. Inappropriate, Will said, but Hannibal just laughed and kept eating. 

Hannibal spent the day with Alana when Will was teaching, and the Angel had a chance to spoil the little baby. Everyone marveled with the baby's wings. So rare and pristine. All the time the baby was curious and excited, even for his short age. He received all the curiosity and charm from everyone around him, so he was perfectly safe.  
Will saw his mate from afar when this happened. His mate beamed with pride and joy and Will couldn't help but laugh. Everything was perfect now.

 

Tara Verger walked down the corridors of the great mansion. Her mothers were expecting her and she was late. Again.  
Being a doctor meant she had to break a few promises too often. But her moms were used to it and they always waited for her, no matter the hour.

Cordell, her mother's new butler, was waiting outside the dinning room. She didn't like him. Squinty-eyed and creepy smile were the worst. 

He announced her to her mothers and two seconds later, she was being crushed between them, laughing and kissing her. They'd been on a trip to Australia for business for two months and they were all excited and a little too emotional.

Dinner went on quickly and Cordell was diligent with his duties, but Tara still had trouble with talking intimately around him. She'd been around butlers, valets and maids all her life but this man was something else. He didn't look like a butler, at all.  
Still, once the wine passed, she didn't care all that much and told her moms about her work.

“Have you heard about that crazy bastard called the Red Dragon?”

“Something, yes, why baby?” Margot asked.

“Well, the guy who caught him was an Angel, Will Graham. HE. WAS. PREGNANT. And got a bullet to the shoulder. The shock made the baby born premature and I assisted the surgery. Double surgery” she beamed. She couldn't lie, Tara was very proud of herself.

“What? Is he alright? And the baby?” asked her mom Judy. She was an Angel and knew how delicate a birth of her kind was.

“Yeah, yeah. This doctor Decroix assisted Will's delivery by c-section. But the most interesting thing is... you know Will Graham's mate”

Tara smiled and leaned back, leaving her stunned mothers talk in hushed tones until they gave up and she laughed at them.

“Hannibal Lecter!”

Cordell threw a plate to the floor and shattered. Tara looked irritated at him, but he apologized and kept doing his work.

“Hannibal? Did you see him? Did he recognize you?”

“Yes! He did! He was so grateful I stabilized his mate!”

As the talking went on and on through the night, no one noticed the butler leaving the dinning room to call his true master and tell him the news.

 

Hannibal was making dinner when Abigail left. She was going to spend the night hunting with Walt. She had her own list but Hannibal knew Walt, the mercenary, was going to teach her his own ways.   
He wasn't bothered. The more prepared she was, the better. 

He looker over his shoulder to check on Will. He was on the sofa, with Noah in his arms. The baby was starting to babble and Will was overexcited. Hannibal smiled fondly and put the onions in the pan, then lowered the power of the fire, washed his hands and went to sit with his family.

Will greeted him with a peck on the lips.

“What are you two doing?” he asked.

Will turned his head to him, full grin on, and told him they were having a talk about life.

After dinner, they fed Noah and put him to sleep. When Hannibal left their room and closed the door, he found Will before him, with his big, blue eyes and rosy lips looking so desirable he could feel hardening already. All this time without sex with his mate was getting on his nerves. 

“You look too innocent. What did you do this time?” Hannibal joked, but Will didn't laugh.

Instead, Will took a step closer and threw himself on him, arms around his neck and mouth devouring his. Hannibal let him have his way with his lips and tongue until Will moved them back to the bedroom.

“Noah will-”

“Noah is sleeping and won't wake up until five or four so we have time” Will interrupted him, taking off his t-shirt and tossing it to the nearest chair.

Hannibal nodded and took off his clothes while Will did the same. When he glanced down, he noticed Will's healing scar and wanted to asked him if he was feeling up to it.

“I want to” Will said before he could ask anything. “I'm feeling great, and I'm horny as hell, so you better fuck me now or else I'll- Well, I don't know, just fuck me, please” Will whined laying on the bed on his back.

Hannibal stared down at him and crawled on top of him. Just feeling skin to skin made his erection grow faster until it hurt. Will bent his knees and opened his legs, making room for him. Leaning on his shoulders, Hannibal lowered his head until his lips were touching Will's neck. Will moaned softly and arched his back, cocks pressing into each other.  
Hannibal feasted Will's flesh like a dessert. From neck to navel, Hannibal covered his skin in light kisses and soft licks until he reached his cock. Then he had Will throwing his head back, gripping the sheets and panting, all coherent talking gone.

His hands held Will's thighs open, while his head bobbed up and down, swallowing and sucking until Will's belly muscles tightened and he could feel his release down his throat. This was the only way he could think of himself consuming Will.

His body relaxed but his cock was as hard as before, so Hannibal took his hand and waist and pulled, maneuvering him on his belly. 

“If you get hurt, tell me and we change positions to a more comfortable one, okay?”

Will nodded and closed his eyes. Hannibal decided that was enough for him, knelt between his legs and as he opened Will's cheeks, he lowered himself and pressed his tongue flat against his entrance. Will moaned again and pressed back.  
Hannibal could taste Will's own lubrication already dripping out of him. He pressed his tongue in, slowly, and swiped in and out until Will was a babbling mess. Hannibal pulled back and admired his work before positioning himself over Will. He lined his cock up and pressed in until Will's hot, tender opening swallowed him. Will sighed in relief and relaxed.

Hannibal’s chest was flush against Will's back when he started to move excruciatingly slow. Will moaned every time he sank back in, and Hannibal could feel goosebumps in his skin when he laced their hands together and bit where shoulder met neck.  
They made love slowly, Will's hips meeting his lazy thrusts until Hannibal felt close to his climax. Then it was only matter of time until he was also panting and fucking Will down against the mattress, making him mewl and cry. With Will clenching around him, as he came again, Hannibal spilled deep inside him until there was nothing more to give to his mate.

Pulling out made Will grunt and squirm. Then he helped him turn and lay on his side, face to face. Will threw a leg over his waist and Hannibal tangled another leg between his. 

Too tired to talk, Will just looked at him and smiled satisfied. 

For now, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, for those who haven't read 'Hannibal': it's the sequel of the Silence of the Lambs and there's a disfigured rich bastard (Mason Verger) who survived Hannibal's... "therapy". This guy abused children and his own sister and was a dick about her having a girlfriend and trying to kill our dear Dr. Lecter. Clarice saves Hannibal from a very nasty torture and I'm not telling more, because the end is AWESOME.
> 
> So, Margot was too cool to let her behind, that's why she's here, because I like her and she deserves this. Thank you Thomas Harris for those amazing novels, and I'm grateful he's not aware of mine.
> 
> \----
> 
> Well? Any thoughts?


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been two years since last chapter's events.
> 
> Will and Hannibal want another kid.
> 
> Abigail and Walt are living together.
> 
> There's someone who hasn't forgotten.
> 
> Heat.
> 
> And worse is yet to come.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm sorry.

“Noah, blow the candles!”

Noah leaned on the table, giggling, happy to see everyone so excited, surrounded by people who loved him, and took a big breath before blowing the two wing-shaped candles.  
Everyone cheered and Noah clapped while he received kisses and hugs from everyone. He saw someone putting pieces of his cake in plates and give them away, and Noah got the big red flower.

He looked up and saw his sister looking down at him, holding hands with her mate, Walt. His daddy, Hannibal, was sitting next to him, talking to uncle Jack, and aunt Bev. Noah was still singing some tune he'd invented for today and Will, his dad, chatted happily with aunt Alana. Everyone who had them spanned their wings, as it was a happy celebration.  
Noah had learned soon how to move them and he basically had them visible all the time. It was as natural for him as it was to breathe. The same with his gift. Everyone in the room was in a good room, their souls at peace and quiet, so Noah was enjoying himself.

He got many presents and thanked everyone, as his daddy had taught him good manners, and he could even play with Winston and Spot before going to bed. That night, dad let Winston sleep with Noah in his bed. 

 

Will was finishing with the dinning room, when Hannibal got the kitchen clean. They were both tired and needed some sleep.

“Two years...” Will muttered, shaking his head.

“I know, he's grown so fast” Hannibal agreed, kissing Will's cheek.

Will looked up and winked while his mate sat on a chair.

“He's such a good kid... I wonder if he's ready for kindergarten. I mean, he's advanced in many ways, and he's eager to learn and he likes people”

“He's too young, Will. Let's keep him one or two more years before sending him out there”

“Out there?” Will laughed. “He's not going to serve in the Army, he's going to play and learn with other kids. It happens all the time, you know, old man?”

Hannibal tilted his head and gripped Will's thigh, making him yelp and laugh.

“Let's see who's an old man”

“I almost make you pass out in my last Heat, what makes you think you're fit for it?” Will challenged, and Hannibal smiled like the predator he was, stood up and kissed him.

Then, hours later, Will begged for release and had to take back what he said.

 

Months after having Noah, Will was starting to feel tired, so they all sat in a family reunion to decide what to do. Abigail came up with a brilliant idea: every weekend Hannibal and Will would take those two days off to rest, while Abigail took care of her baby brother. They all agreed to everyone's terms and set it all up for the next weekend.  
This went on for months until it became a regular thing every two weekends, due to Will's overprotective instincts.

On one of their 'escapades', Hannibal brought with them his precious leather collar, just to tell Will what they could do. It started light. Will only wore it on bed, having sex. Then Hannibal asked Will to use it in the house, without orders. Will agreed then to take orders the moment he wore the collar, right before entering the house. He would take the collar himself and buckle it up.  
It became a 'thing' they only used there. 

One year and three months after having Noah, Will's Heat cycles started again. They didn't use the collar then, because neither of them was willing to play.

 

But two days after Noah's second birthday, was one of those especial weekends. 

After hours of games, they both lay on the bed, spent and satisfied. Hannibal on his back, Will half on top of him, he caressed his mate's lush mane of curls, grazing occasionally the collar. 

“Three more months and I'll be in Heat again” Will commented casually. 

Well, as casually as he could, because Hannibal knew that tone.

“What are you thinking?” Hannibal asked, also casually.

“Well...” Will sighed, supporting his weight on his elbow “We've had two quiets years, I mean with the FBI. No crazy psychopaths have tried to end our existence and we could move somewhere else to try and stay out of trouble for some time...”

As Will talked, he drew circles and silhouettes on Hannibal’s chest, looking down distractedly. Hannibal stared at his lips, a dark shade of pink that was slowly fading. A shame, really, Hannibal thought. He'd been working on punishing those lips for hours.

“Are you telling me we should move? Quit our jobs?”

“Sounds crazy, I know” Will groaned, throwing his head back and then laying on his side.

Hannibal smiled and patted his shoulder.

“We should do it. Get a bigger house, plenty of space for more dogs: a big backyard, or a big garden surrounding the house; two floors, of course, for us, Abigail and Noah... and more to come, right? That's why you asked”

He felt Will tensing, hands suddenly paralyzed. 

“You knew what I was going to-”

“Of course I know!” Hannibal interrupted “Will, look at me”

They both sat back against the headboard and Hannibal waited for Will to hold his gaze for a few seconds, to add importance to the discussion.

“You, Abigail and now Noah brought me a legitimate reason to love life. To fight for someone I love. You're all I have. My job is nothing, Will. Just a pastime to keep myself busy. How often do you see me going to the office lately?”

“Almost never” Will answered.

“Because my family is now all I have. Any time I spend out of home is to go with Abigail, and you know what happens” he looked intently into his eyes and Will nodded, but it came out as a cringe.

Hannibal knew how unbearable it was for Will now to hear what they were doing, so Abigail and Hannibal decided to just keep it out of Will's knowledge. Sometimes he had to be remembered, and it broke his heart.

“So yes, Will, I think we should move to a different city. In another State, if you want” Hannibal brought a hand to Will's cheek and smiled. “And we can make our family larger”

Will smiled and nodded.

“I could use my time to work on my next book” Will added.

Four months ago, Will finished his book and it was a bestseller in Great Britain, France and Germany, while it created controversy in the US and opened all kind of debates about psychopathy, sociopathy and serial killers. In any case, Will had had enough recognition and wanted to go back to a low profile.  
This could be good for the whole family. 

 

Abigail was already waiting when Alana entered her office.

“Oh, you're early!”

“Yeah, I've been reading for a few minutes, though, so the wait wasn't long” Abigail diminished it with a shrug and a charming smile.

“Well then, come in and let's begin”

Alana was surprised. She knew Abigail had a mate for some time now, and it definitely improved her mental health, after all she'd been through.  
She was in Quantico, training to be a FBI Agent, like her father, Will. Of course, being her biological father who he was, she needed psychiatric help or surveillance to be in the Academy. She lived with her mate two minutes away from the place, so surveillance was simply stupid and Alana volunteered to be her psychiatrist. Only this way she could stay in the Academy, for two years only, then, if she passed all tests and had at least three recommendation letters from her superiors, Alana wouldn't be necessary anymore.

“How's your week?” Alana started.

“Well...” Abigail sighed. “I have to finish three treatises and a physical exam that's tomorrow. I'm a bit stressed but everything's fine. I'm happy with my mate, my fathers and my little brother”

Abigail smiled and relaxed. She really looked happy, bright. Her eyes might have hid something in the past but they were clear now. 

“Well, you look happy. No bad memories of the past?”

The young Nephilim blinked and lowered her gaze. 

“Not really. It's like it happened decades ago, you know? I've felt so terrified and wrong for so long that now it doesn't look real” her face changed and she gave her a pained smile. “What I have now happened thanks to that, so I don't really need to get rid of that part of my life. Hannibal and Will saved me and, as much as I love Will, it's Hannibal who actually empathized with me. Could be because he's so old his life's full of experiences and Will is too young. I don't know, but Hannibal helped me with my own experience. What I have now is comfortable. And good”

Alana checked her phone was still recording and nodded, satisfied with her answer.

“Are you in the FBI Academy to pay Will some sort of... retribution?”

“I don't understand” Abigail frowned. “Why would it be like that? It's not a correction. I just need to understand the minds of the likes of my biological father. I want to help people”

Alana's eyebrow twitched. Was this curiosity? Abigail did not seem to want to be in the FBI for vocation but for curiosity. 

“So you still want to seek the answer”

“Why. I need to know why, and I need to find out by myself”

 

When Abigail left, Alana checked her next patient on her agenda. Carrie Keller, a new patient. One of her relatives died a few years ago and she couldn't let it go. Alana wanted to know why, and then find some way to make her see someone's time is not always up to us. That should be enough to ease her pain.

There was a knock on the door and Alana stood up to open it for her. She found herself face to face with a short human girl, in her twenties, redhead with green eyes. They didn't look sad, but furious. 

“Are you Dr. Bloom?”

“Yes, you can call me Alana. You must be Carrie Keller” Alana and Carrie shook hands before she let the new patient enter her office.

Carrie looked around, hands on her pockets, before sitting down.

“Well, as you're new I have to tell you what I always tell new patients. As your psychiatrist you can tell me anything you want, freely. My vow of confidence protects your identity but I record all my sessions to remember them better. Are you agree?”

“Yes” Carrie answered.

“Good. Are you allergic to some medicine or component?”

“No”

“Well then, let's begin” Alana set her phone to a new recording and sat back in her chair. “Tell me why you think need my services”

“Three and a half years ago my sister died. She was brutally murdered and-and I can't sleep without having nightmares, in a cold sweat that is just unbearable. I've tried to psychologists but they didn't work. The last one told me that medication was the only...”

Alana saw her shrink in her chair, embracing her knees. Tears fell down her face but she seemed oblivious to them.

“I can give you medication for sleep and depression, Carrie, but I need to know more about you” Alana offered in a gentle voice.

“Okay... I lived with my sister and my mom in San Francisco. It was her first year of college and we were so happy” she smiled. “Martha was adopted, her hair was dark and her eyes were blue, she was taller and more athletic than I am. She always mocked me because she won all the races when we were kids. She was strong, intelligent and one Friday she was invited to a fraternity party. Her newest friend was there too when they left and that's the last time I saw my Martha alive”

“I'm sorry, Carrie. Dealing with the death of a loved one isn't easy for anyone”

“Yes I know. But that's not the problem. You see, if she died in a car accident or something else I would've moved on sooner. But the police told me the murderer was dead months later and that was it. We received money from the murderer's family and we were told nothing else could be done. I saw him on the news...”

“You felt like there was no one to blame then”

Carrie looked up and shook her head.

“No, no, no... I know he wasn't the murderer. It was his daughter, my sister's friend. Abigail Leigh. Well, that's what she was called back then. Abigail Hobbs”

Alana tried to hide her surprise but when she started to shake she had to stand up and walk behind her desk. Martha Keller was the third victim of Garret Jacob Hobbs.

 

As the weeks went, Hannibal and Will prepared themselves for Will's next Heat. This time they wanted to get him pregnant and consulted Neal Decroix for supplements or vitamins, even extra hormones. He said it wasn't necessary anything extra and laughed it off. 

“Just have sex at least once every day. At least. Every day for a month will suffice but the more you have the better. It increases Will's hormones naturally and his body will be so worked up during his Heat that it could only last for two days. Intense, but effective”

So they happily started their new routine. Every morning, before going to work, Will woke Hannibal up to make love, then shower while Hannibal fed and dressed Noah. Then, once again after Noah was put to bed, and Walter and Abigail left. 

Hannibal had reduced his patients to two and he had time to stay home with their son, but the rest of the time Noah was with Will even at work. The first day Will left Noah at the nursery for working parents at the FBI, his son threw such a massive tantrum Will had to retrieve him from the place and took him to his first class. The whole classroom found it amusing but didn't comment about it and just awed once when Noah giggled at some drawing he was making.  
After that, Will took him to his classes and Noah was a silent student, drawing, listening to his music or watching DVDs on Will's laptop. 

Hannibal found it amusing, too, when he was home with Noah and he behaved like Will sometimes. He recognized some looks, some gestures and even the brooding was exactly the same.

Weekends and Thursdays were park time, and the whole family met in a park nearby Abigail and Walt's apartment. They noticed how much alike Noah was to Will when he interacted with other kids. He first sat back or hid behind something to observe and learn, his wings perfectly folded behind him, and then he stepped in and treated everyone in a different way. He never got close to the bullies but instead he liked to play with quiet kids. 

When he was tired he always sought his father's arms, and Hannibal always lifted him up, hugged him close and sat with the family, to talk and watch the other kids until they left or Noah found another playmate. 

Kids liked Noah's rare wings and that made him the center of every attention for a few weeks, then they just found it normal and winged children started to spread and show their wings more often. More naturally. Hannibal noted he lifted everyone's spirits or calmed down other kid's tantrums with a touch or a hug.

Their kid was special and Will found it amazing now, but said it could be a burden later if they didn't teach him his abilities and how unique they were.

 

One week before Will's Heat, they lay on the couch, Will on top of his mate, kissing him after a long love making session, when Hannibal gently pushed Will back.

“What is it?”

“We're meeting an old friend tomorrow. Adelaide Jefferson. She sells her house and if I remember correctly, it's big, near the woods and safe. Come with me and take Noah”

Will nodded and resumed their lazy kissing time. Will knew his mate loved his lips and they used to spend the afterglow time just devouring and worshiping each other, slow and tender. With Winston occasionally licking at Will's feet.

 

Alana opened the door and Carrie came in, her eyes, lost as they always were, sparkled with hope. Alana smiled. After almost three months, she'd improved with medication and proper care. 

“Are we in a good mood today, Carrie?”

“Yes! Actually, couldn't be better” Carrie exclaimed, sitting down.

Alana leaned back and urged her to continue.

“You see, I know with all certainty, that Abigail Hobbs lives in this city, where I last saw her in the news”

Alana struggled to convince Carrie to abandon any approach she'd had in mind for the rest of their time together. Finally, Carrie seemed to think about it one more time before nodding, resigned.

After Carrie left, Alana wanted to believe she could trust her, for she seemed convinced. Still, she couldn't stop shaking until she got home and hugged Bev close.

 

Only days before Will's heat, Hannibal received a call from Jack Crawford, urging Will to help them in a case. Jack assured him they would only need Will at the briefing room, surrounded by documents and pictures. He'd been informed they wanted to have another child and they were clear about the stress at work. Even Dr. Neal Decroix had talked to Crawford and his superiors and, apparently, his word was enough.

“This is very important, Dr. Lecter” Jack said, sighing. 

Finally Hannibal decided this wasn't his choice and handed Will the phone. Will, sitting at the table with Noah in his lap, looked up to ask him who it was. Hannibal had to ignore Will's big blue eyes before swallowing and telling Jack was calling. Will, oblivious to Hannibal’s desires, took the phone and asked Jack if there was a problem.

Meanwhile, Noah looked up and smiled, then put his arms in the air, so Hannibal took him and let his son throw his arms around his neck. His wings, still of the purest white, and so much like his own in shape and number, embraced him too. Just like Will did.

“Are you hungry, baby?”

“No, daddy. Do you want to play with Winston? He's there” Noah's little finger pointed at the couch's direction and Hannibal turned around, to see the dog on his back, tail wiggling. 

“Okay then, but pay Winston as much attention as the others, alright?”

“Sure, daddy”

Hannibal put Noah down, but his son grabbed his hand and lead him to the couch. Hannibal knelt and Noah started to talk to Winston while rubbing his belly and caressing Star's head. She was an old dog and liked to sit by Noah's side when the kid was with her.

Hannibal sat back on his heels and put a hand on his son's back, under his wings. 

“You have to get clean soon, Noah. You know your sister and her mate are coming to dinner tonight”

“Yes, daddy”

Hannibal smiled, happy with his son. He was a kind soul, beautiful and so pure. He wanted him to remain like that for so much longer but knew it wasn't possible. He wasn't going to protect his son from the world, but prepare him for it. Will was already telling him what he felt around others only a few special people was able to feel, and Noah was one of them. Noah barely reacted to it, because it was so normal for him he just couldn't think why he was special. He was young to know but smart enough to realize that much.

“Hannibal?”

“Yes, dear?”

Will touched his shoulder and Hannibal looked up.

“I'm starting tonight. Jack already sent the files and pictures to my e-mail. Can you take care of the dinner? I'm going to work in our bedroom, but I'll come out to say hello to Abigail and Walt, I promise”

“And eat. You must eat something, Will”

“Yeah, sure” Will smiled briefly then took his laptop, kissed Noah's head and walked to their room.  
“  
“Wait, Will” Hannibal called and Will turned around. “Adelaide told me before that the house is ours the next week, so we can start the moving is up to us then”

Will nodded and closed the door behind him when he entered their bedroom.

“Well, I guess I expected too much enthusiasm” Hannibal muttered. “That means we're walking the dogs tonight, my boy” Hannibal said, stroking Noah's dark curls.

 

Hannibal took care of Will during the three days he worked on the case. Only the third day he left and went to Jack's office for a meeting with the FBI agents and the S.W.A.T. team that would help them capturing the murderer. 

Will ate half of what Hannibal brought him, and barely slept for five hours in three days. The second night, a particularly frustrating day for Will, he asked Hannibal for a rough quick intercourse that Hannibal couldn't refuse. He indulged Will but it wasn't quick. Later, Will slapped Hannibal’s back and admonished for letting him sleep that much.

When Will came home, he kissed Hannibal before telling him his Heat was due tomorrow. Noah helped them pack up for three or four days, for them and for himself. Because that meant he was staying at his sister's home with Walt and their cat. Noah liked to pet Sissi and Walt was very funny, and he loved his sister very much.

“Dad, do you think I'm cute?”

Will's head shot up and frowned.

“Of course, Noah, why?” he laughed.

“People say I'm cute” Noah shrugged and both his fathers laughed at his son's train of thought.

He was such a lovely kid, very intelligent for his short age, but in Nephilims it was normal. And even when Noah wasn't an average Nephilim, both Will and Hannibal found it amazing and amusing.

Will waited patiently in the car while Hannibal said goodbye to their son, now in Abigail arms. He couldn't go out, not in his condition. He felt uncomfortable in his clothes, he was beginning to sweat and he felt close to wetting the seat. Heats were always a mess and this one felt overwhelming, even now at the start.  
He'd woke up this morning gasping for air, hot and flushed, before waking Hannibal up with his fidgeting and twisting on the bed. They'd dressed up as fast as they could before grabbing the bags, take Noah and drive to Abigail apartment. 

Now Will breathed heavily, hot and mind foggy. He just wanted his mate. And his mate took forever to get into the car and start the engine.  
Will groaned, took his mate's hand and brought it to his crotch, moaning.

“Wait a few more minutes, we'll be there soon” 

Will heard his mate distantly but nodded and moaned again when Hannibal squeezed gently. Will rocked his hips for less than ten seconds and then he came in his pants.

“I think I've made a mess”

He heard Hannibal chuckling and Will laughed. For now he was more or less fine. Uncomfortable, but fine.

It seemed hours to Will before they were at the front door. He pressed his body to his mate's, arms around his waist and mouthing his neck from behind while Hannibal fumbled with the keys.

Once inside, Hannibal dropped the bags and pressed Will against the door, lips seeking lips while he canted his hips to Will's erection. With one hand to Will's hair, he used the other to open his shirt and unzip his jeans, then stepped back and saw his mate undress before doing the same.  
Not bothering the mess, he dropped to his knees and swallowed Will's length while pressing two fingers inside him, wet and warm.

Will's hands grabbed locks of his hair and all he could hear was his mate whimpering when he sucked and pushed another finger in. He felt Will's lubrication soaking his hand and wrist, and then his hole clenched before he felt Will's come in his mouth.

“Not... not enough” Will panted, urging Hannibal to stand up.

Will took his hand and lead him up the stairs in wobbly legs. Will crawled on the bed on all fours and arched his back. Normally, Hannibal would admire and perhaps play for some time before indulging Will. This time was different. His mate's hormones made his rational part step back for a while.  
So Hannibal lurched forward, got on the bed and lined himself up and into Will's moist entrance. They both sighed in relief and, the moment Hannibal started to rock his hips, Will arched his back and spread his legs so he aimed for his prostate.

Hannibal’s hands ran up Will's sides and then he kept one grabbing Will's hip, while the other pressed between his shoulder blades to make his wings appear. They were there in seconds. Of a light brown, in a dim light they seemed like old gold.  
He felt his orgasm close and reached around Will to take his length and pull. Then Will moaned, went silent and came in the bedspread, right before his arms gave in and his upper body collapsed on the bed. Hannibal kept fucking into him until he felt the knot growing at the base of his cock, then entered the rim and settled inside, slowly filling Will up with his seed.

Panting, he gathered Will in his arm and put them under the soft sheets, hugging him close as his wings retracted to make room for them. 

 

The Heat was over by the fourth afternoon. Hannibal spent the rest of the night cleaning up while Will rested in a new set of bed clothing. 

Hannibal hoped this Heat would bring them a new child. He really hoped.

To keep themselves busy they spent one week arranging some final documents to move to another house. It wasn't so far, only fifteen minutes away from the Academy and Will liked it. Abigail and Walt were closer now to them and they would have each other at any time. Though the house was near the woods, the city wasn't far, in fact, if they were on the third floor, they could see the road, the gas station and the firsts suburbs. 

By the end of the first week, they moved the clothes and some electronics to the house. It was huge, bigger than Hannibal’s old house, and they loved it. Will wasn't a fan of big houses-almost-manors but that's what they needed for their growing family. And dogs. Of course, the dogs.

One more week and they moved Will's dogs to get used to the new place. They cleaned the house and the garden in two days, to keep themselves busy. Will was back to work next Monday and Alana wanted to know if it was true that they wanted another child. Will just smiled privately as the class began to fill, and Alana yelled and hugged him close. She was very fond of Noah and the kid loved her too.

 

Then the night they invited Dr. Decroix came and from the moment they opened the door they shared the old man's enthusiasm. 

“Well, sit over there” Neal pointed the couch, smirking at Hannibal. “Will, lift your shirt up and focus, okay?”

Will nodded, clenching his jaw nervously, and then closed his eyes. Hannibal swallowed, realizing his throat was dry, and sat down by Will's side. He saw Neal's face go lax, his hands on Will's exposed belly, and gently pressed his thumbs. His fingers stayed still, splayed on his mate's belly, as the doctor's own special gift worked on him. 

All Hannibal knew about Neal's gift was that he'd had it since birth, centuries ago, and it inspired many myths about magic. It wasn't magic, but a wonderful evolution mishap for Neal until he learned how to control it and use it. Before that, everything he touched 'talked' to him. Showed him images of the past and the present and a hint of the future. Furniture, trees, people... anything spoke to him. That's how he found Hannibal. Neal was one of the doctors that tried to heal a dying man. That man was Hannibal’s victim. That man had kidnapped a young girl and was having a great time telling about it to his friends when Hannibal had had enough and hunt him down before rescuing the girl.  
Neal had followed him and saw the potential of that young man, then took him under his wing, to protect him, to teach him.

Centuries later, Hannibal still admired and respected his old friend. 

“Ummm” Neal murmured, and Hannibal leaned forward.

“What is it?” asked Will, eyes fixed on the doctor's hands.

“Well, you are pregnant, my dear Will” he sentenced, pulling his hands away and patting Hannibal’s shoulder.

Will gaped and threw his head back, then laughed. Hannibal just stared back at Neal, not knowing what to do or say. He just grabbed Will's hand and intertwined their fingers. They were having another child.

 

The news ran like wildfire and everyone knew by the end of the week. Will and Hannibal were expecting their second child.  
Abigail threw a party, even when Will said he was only three weeks pregnant, but she was so excited no one stopped her. Hannibal even helped her.

Hannibal had an eye on Will the whole time the party lasted. Noah just walked around asking people random questions and playing with the dogs, occasionally asking his parents for a hug or a kiss, that made him the center of attention for a few minutes.  
The food was amazing, everyone commented, and Hannibal felt so proud he promised another party, more elegant this time, for those he knew from the Opera and the Theater House. They were delighted and moved on with their own conversations.  
Hannibal had put a lot of effort with this dinner to please Will. He never hesitated to take a bite of everything and hummed in appreciation. 

This pregnancy's cravings wouldn't take them for surprise.

 

Will was grading some tests at the cafeteria, eating an apple, when his stomach grumbled. He ate another apple when it happened again. Will put the pen down and rummaged through his bag for something else to eat but found nothing. Then he felt a painful cramp on his lower belly and gasped for air. Frowning, Will stood up carefully and locked himself in the restroom, ready to throw up, but the pain only got worse and he couldn't even stand on his feet anymore.

Then, when the pain was over, Will found himself covered in a cold sweat, and he finally threw up. He got a text message from Alana. Apparently he was half an hour late and they'd found his things in the cafeteria. He called Alana and told her where he was.

Five minutes later she came into the restroom and helped him out of there.

“Just take me home and call Dr. Decroix” Will said in a croaky voice.

Alana took his phone and dialed Neal Decroix, telling him to meet them at Will's house. She quickly explained what happened before driving. They arrived in less than ten minutes but it felt like hours for Will, still in a cold sweat.

Decroix was at the door, next to a very concerned Hannibal, with Noah's hand in his. Their son looked worried too, sensing his father's distress.

“Will” Hannibal breathed, already by his side the moment the car stopped.

He took Will in his arms and they all walked in the house.

“Take him to your bedroom and let us alone, please” Neal told Hannibal, who nodded and started to climb up the stairs.

Will was barely aware of his dogs whining and cries. But he felt their soft bed and then a kiss on his forehead.

Then everything went silent but he felt Neal's presence. His soul, solemn and powerful towered over his own fragile one. He felt sick.

“I'm going to put my hands on your stomach now, Will. Okay?”

Will nodded and Neal's hands were on him, gently prodding and thumbing. He whined and groaned when the pain was too much.

“Will, are you... eating properly?” Neal asked, but he seemed uncomfortable.

“Yes, why?” Will mumbled.

“Will, you're very weak and the pregnancy only made it worse”

Will managed to open his eyes and frowned at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I thought I made it clear in your last pregnancy. You need to eat whatever you've eaten previously”

Neal lifted an eyebrow, throwing Will a knowing look. Then it hit him. 

“B-but... I'm sure I didn't...”

“I'm sorry, Will” Neal offered and patted his hand before leaving the room.

“I told him not to...” Will murmured to himself, his eyes beginning to feel with tears.

Will couldn't go through that again. He just couldn't. Eating human (Angel, Demon and Nephilim) food to nourish their son once was one thing, but repeating the experience was another. He couldn't.

Hannibal came in when he started to cry, then rushed to the bed and held his hands.

“Will, Will, what is it? It's okay now”

“IT'S YOUR FAULT!” Will snapped, pulling his hands away. 

Hannibal frowned and made another attempt to take his hands but Will pushed him away.

“Will, no. I didn't-”

“Yes, you did! You bastard!” Will screamed, furious. “I explicitly told you I didn't want to eat that again! And you've just condemned me to another ten months of torture!” 

“Will, please, you don't understand. I didn't feed you-”

“What? You're a cannibal, and you've made me eat them before. You can't change, can you?” Will began to tremble and hyperventilate, then held his head between his hands, hanging like a broken doll.

He cried and growled in frustration. It wasn't over. The nightmare was never really gone and he had to live again in it.

“Go... go now” Will commanded, still crying.

Then he heard the door opening and closing and he gave up, rolled on his side and cried until he fell asleep.

 

Abigail woke up early and prepared breakfast before Walt awoke. She checked if Noah was still asleep and then put the food in a tray with milk and orange juice. Abigail put the tray down on the bed and then sat on her pillow. She looked down at her mate and buried her fingers in his hair.  
Minutes later Walt stirred and she bowed down to kiss his cheek. He slept on his stomach but the right side of his face was entirely at her disposal.

“Wake up, you toad” she whispered.

“Shut up, ugly... apple”

“Wow, that's insulting” Abigail exaggerated her tone. “Your breakfast is getting colder, you fat Dalek”

“How's Dalek an insult?” Walt's head shot up and he scowled at her.

Abigail laughed and kicked his side to make him sit with her.

“Come on, eat” she offered him a hot sandwich. “Ham and cheese”

“You actually went into the kitchen and made me a sandwich?” Walt asked after he took a bite. 

“I also poured some juice, you know?”

Walt laughed and stole a kiss when she was distracted. They ate breakfast in silence, occasionally holding hands and kissing.  
Abigail loved these quiet moments, doing normal stuff. Well, it looked like normal stuff.

“How are your dads?” Walt asked, setting the tray down on his bedside table.

“I didn't call but... Bad. They've been like this for almost three weeks now” Abigail said, suddenly sad. “You know, I actually believe Hannibal. He doesn't have any reason to lie about this. Not anymore”

“But how do you explain-”

“I know, I know. But I've talked to him, and he almost cried swearing over his dead sister”

“That's rough” he sighed.

“Yeah, I know... that's why Noah's here. He can't stand all those bad feelings anymore” she explained.

The previous night Hannibal had showed up, carrying Noah and a bag full of his things. He asked them if he could stay for a few days. They accepted, of course, but didn't want to ask in front of the little boy.

Those last three weeks had been tough for everyone and she'd felt it the few times she'd been over their new house. Will was distant, and visibly angry. He looked pale and tired but didn't say a word about it. Hannibal seemed lost and distracted and he had bags under his eyes. She knew then there was something bad going on, but she didn't know how bad.  
Late in the night, when Walt was already asleep, she received a call from Hannibal, who told him everything that happened.

“This can't be good for the baby” she commented. Then she felt his hand on hers and his head resting on her shoulder.

“They'll work it out, eventually”

“I hope so”

But deep down she didn't know how to solve a cannibal mate without getting hurt, physically or mentally. She'd had both.

 

Everyone noticed Will's change. And Alana could see it. His students talked in hushed toned the moment they set foot outside the classroom; and Bev, Price and Keller had stopped eating with him because he ate alone in the same classroom.  
Jack didn't want to address it but he also knew.

 

The moment Dr. Decroix left the house that day, she knew something was wrong, but no one told her anything so she didn't ask. But Will seemed upset, and beyond furious. It was a miracle he didn't snap at everyone around him.

Then, one day, Jack approached Will with a new case and Alana tried to convince them it wasn't a good idea. But none of them actually listened and Will left everything behind to solve this new case. She noticed he arrived earlier and left home late. She got calls from Hannibal asking if he was fine, but nothing more. They had a fight, that she knew, but the magnitude of it she couldn't comprehend. 

After five days of intensive work, Will finally resolved the puzzle and told Jack where to find the kidnapper. It was a Demon woman, tall and blonde. Beautiful and deadly. She was an ex-Marine, lived alone and had a basement that looked like a torture chamber. She liked to stalk her preys, men and women alike, but only humans, and then she took them to her home to torture and then kill them all. 

Will wanted to go with Jack and he told him yes, but only if he stayed in the car. Alana asked Jack to come with them, to have an eye on Will if something went wrong and he acceded. Together, Jack, Alana, Will and three vans left the building. They were silent the whole trip, listening to Jack's instructions.

Alana could see how much Will wanted to be out there, but kept quiet and very still. That was until they positioned two of the vans before the house and one behind it, in the back street.  
Will leaned forward when everyone left the van and she studied his pose. He didn't look excited or thrilled. He looked like a string so stretched it would snap at any moment. Then they heard shooting and Alana jumped on her seat. She heard the door open and saw Will already out.

Before she could scream, tell him to come back, he had his gun up and there was a woman running out of the house. They almost run into each other and Will shot at her shoulder. She shrieked, growled and kicked his knee, making him fall down on his backside. Will didn't give up, stretched on the floor and grabbed her ankle. She landed on her belly and chin. Then they were surrounded by FBI agents, who handcuffed her and locked her in a van. They helped Will on his feet, congratulating him and patting his back.

Alana got out of the car and run up to him. She hugged him close and sighed in relief.

“You're a fool, you know?” she admonished him.

“I know. Thank you” he replied, his arms around her waist.

“If I could physically punish you, your ass would already be red as a tomato” they heard Jack approaching from behind. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

Will gently pulled Alana back and smirked.

“Well I heard the shooting and-”

They never heard the rest of the story because Will fell on his knees, doubled in half, holding his stomach. His scream made every agent around them pull their guns out, but there was no one to aim at. 

“What the hell happened?!” Jack asked to one of his men, while Alana searched for any wound.

“I didn't hear anything, sir” said one of them.

“Then what-”

“Sir!” said the youngest, a Demon woman. She lowered her gun. Her nostrils flared and she pointed down at Will. “He's got blood on his pants, sir” she said.

Alana leaned over him and touched his inner thigh, feeling a hot liquid. Someone turned on a flashlight and she could see the red blood on her hand.

“CALL AN AMBULANCE, NOW!” Alana screamed, and held Will until they took him away from her arms.

 

Hannibal closed the door when Franklin left, then went back inside. He ordered his papers, drawings and books. Then he turned on his phone and saw he'd received fifteen missing calls and ten messages. Frowning, he scrolled down the missing calls. Alana and Abigail. She phoned her daughter.

“Thank God” she said, crying.

“Abigail, what is it? Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. It's... it's Will. We tried to call you but your phone was off and-”

“I had a patient, I'm sorry. What happens with Will?” he stood up and walked out, ready to open the car if it was necessary.

“He miscarried, dad” she cried.

Hannibal dropped the phone, the keys and then he fell on his leg and hand, hitting the car. His mind shut down and he could only hear his sister calling his name, crying. Will in hospital and Abigail half dead on a red spot on a kitchen floor. He could feel the cold death in his hands, and Will's soft smile in the early morning, and the beautiful white of his son's wings. Anything and everything died but the pain.

His baby was dead and it was all his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 2-4 chapters more and the story ends. Don't be sad.  
> For now, there's more, and soon.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, here's my Tumblr http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry for the delay, but this chapter has been Hell to plan and it's near the end so it'll end... soon.  
> But! there's still some fun, and tragedy and surprises, ok?  
> If you've read Hannibal (the sequel) then it's all fun by the end of the chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> Let's see... it's been two years since last chapter. Enjoy. Or not.

Hannibal left the tray full of food -that he knew would come almost untouched- on the bedside table, checked on Will's sleeping form under the cover and then left the room as quietly as he came in.

Once he was downstairs, he took a full minute to breathe, resting back and head on the wall. He closed his eyes but the intense void of Will's bond left him breathless. Gasping, Hannibal pulled himself off the wall and walked out the backyard. Some of their dogs were outside, having a nap under the sun. others were inside, guarding Will's door. Winston lay by side on the bed.

He took a seat under an old tree and resumed his writing. He had to finish the inventory of the latest lot he'd received from Florence. He'd interrupted his work to bring lunch to Will, like every day.

Hannibal set the tablet aside, knowing he wouldn't work today. These days Will seemed more like a shadow of the Angel he met and he hadn't heard his mate's voice in more than two months. He hardly saw him walking.  
It wasn't just Will's depression, it was their bond. It was more broken than damaged and that threatened to swallow him too. 

Glancing up to the nearest window, he only saw the darkness of their room. Their room. It was an understatement. Hannibal slept with a ghost of Will. He thought Will was hardly aware of his presence anymore. And the only visit they ever had were his daughter and her mate, and Alana.  
Will didn't even acknowledge them. He only reacted to Noah. Noah, their little kid, kind and extremely observing with everything, knew his dad was ill, or suspected he was, and he just sat there with him, touching his father and talking to him.

Noah was good for Will but Hannibal knew his state sometimes overwhelmed their son, even though the poor soul never complained about it. So Hannibal sent Noah with Abigail and Walt for a couple of days and the kid came back charged with their energy.

Will was worse lately, because his Heat was coming and it meant the same painful hell he'd been enduring for almost two years: one or two days of forced coupling for both of them that only made Will retract into himself even more. These Heats were Hell for both of them. They meant nothing now because their bond was barely holding itself. It was broken. And he had little hope they could...

Sighing and wiping a tear off his cheek, Hannibal stood and entered the house, took the phone and dialed his friend, Neal Decroix.

The good doctor came to visit them the next day Will miscarried and assured them it wasn't Hannibal’s fault. He wasn't lying and he noticed how that changed Will, right in that second. Then Decroix told them their 'baby wasn't meant to be', and Will was gone. He behaved like an automaton and seemed to die a little every day. 

“Hannibal, my boy, how are you?”

“I'm” Hannibal stopped, not knowing what to say. He wasn't fine and Neal knew it.

“It's okay, Hannibal. Why did you call? Change of plans?”

“No, Neal. I just wanted to confirm you'd be here tomorrow morning”

“Yes, yes. Don't worry about that” he laughed. “I'm more excited than you about this. Thank you for it, by the way. You know it's an honor”

“You'll be a fantastic tutor for my son, I know”

A few weeks back, Hannibal had talked to Decroix what was the best way to educate his son and he reminded him how he was home-schooled when he was a kid before the war, and how Neal taught him later, too. Then Hannibal said it would be the best education if Neal himself was Noah's personal tutor. Neal accepted right away. Their friendship was strong short after they met and it was stronger now, so it delighted Neal to be in charge of his friend's son education. 

Hannibal talked to Will about it but Will gave no sign to be listening. Hannibal took the decision. 

“I'll do my best, Hannibal. Noah is a good boy, very intelligent and has a bright soul”

Hannibal’s lip twitched. He knew his son was exactly like Will. And such innocence could be easily tainted by someone like him. He already drowned his mate in his poison and he didn't want that for his son too. Neal would correct and cleanse all the darkness Noah could get from him. He loved his son; he didn't want him ruined for his mistakes.

 

Later that night, Abigail came by with Noah. After the dogs greeted them, he took Noah in a tight embrace. 

“He wanted to be home” she shrugged, then looked up and pointed at the second floor. “How is he?”

“Not good” he whispered, hugging his son.

Abigail sighed, kissed his cheek and said goodbye to her brother before leaving. Hannibal put Noah down and smiled at him. He passed his hand through his dark curls and Noah leaned into his hand.

“What do you want for lunch?”

“Mmm just a sandwich”

Hannibal took his son's hand and lead him into the kitchen, where he made his son help him with his lunch. Noah loved the kitchen and he liked seeing his dad cooking. Occasionally Hannibal dared cooking 'special meals' because Noah was still too young and he still needed the nourishment he required before he was born. A couple of years more and it wouldn't be necessary. 

He wasn't sure what to tell him when he was older about the family. About himself. About Abigail and Walt. 

“Daddy, is dad okay?” Noah asked. His big blue eyes were fixed on him and now he couldn't escape.

“No, he isn't, Noah” he answered, looking at his son. He nodded and looked down at his sandwich, then gave another bite. “You don't have to feel sad, too”

“I know...” he sighed. “But I can feel him even down here”

Hannibal frowned and crouched down to be at the same level as his son.

“Even down here?” he asked, and Noah nodded. “Do you want to say hello to him? That always calms him down”

“Okay”

Noah finished his sandwich and followed his father to their room. Hannibal opened the door and Noah went in. He walked over the bed, stroked Winston's head and kissed his dad's forehead. Hannibal saw Will's head move slowly, then his eyes opened and he barely smiled before closing them again. Noah's wings were visible in an instant and the little boy touched his father's head for almost two minutes before stepping back and standing beside his father.

“How is he?”

“Sleeping. I soothed his thoughts” Noah answered. 

When Hannibal looked down he saw his little boy's serious expression and it reminded of himself, so long ago. His four year old son wasn't an average little boy. Their son. A mixed Nephilim with a mysterious gift.

“Can we go outside?” he asked. “I want to play with the dogs”

Noah smiled when Hannibal nodded, then run out the room and down the stairs. Hannibal stood in front of Will and kissed the top of his head before following his son.

They spent the rest of the day playing and drawing. Hannibal saw Will's spirit reflected on his son, always there, bright and overwhelming. His laugh was the medicine he'd needed for years.   
By night they walked the dogs and had a light dinner before going to bed. Noah fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. 

Hannibal showered and lay on his side, an arm over Will's waist. He felt him stir and graze his fingers with his hand. 

“I can't help you with this, Will” he said into Will's hair, his forehead resting on the back of his head. “It's been two years and nothing's worked so far. I'm afraid I can't help you anymore” Will didn't answer. “I'm here for everything you need. I've always been and I'll always be. But please, you have to fight. There's no cure for this but you're strong enough to rise again. I'll wait, I'll be here for you when you're better. And together, we'll survive this”

Again, Will just seemed to be far away. No answer. But he did something out of the ordinary. He took Hannibal’s hand and squeezed.  
Hannibal was breathless for a few seconds, then he felt his eyes sting with tears.

“It's all my fault, Will. I'm so sorry” he apologized, pressing his body into Will's, sharing their warmth. “You don't deserve all this”

 

The smell of scrambled eggs and fresh orange juice pulled him out of the blurry haze that became his sleep months ago. It was like waking from a nightmare into another nightmare.   
He couldn't remember anymore what day it was. Month. Or year. He only saw his son grow and grow everyday like he was always on the other side of the veil. It all lacked of life and color.

His senses came very slowly this time. And finally the void in his soul pierced through his heart and pulled him down, physically exhausted. 

'What a pathetic, broken toy'

'No...'

'But you don't have a mate anymore. He doesn't love you'

'He does...'

'Just let it go'

'I can't'

'He killed you. And you're broken. You couldn't even make your child grow inside you. You're already dead'

Everyday it was the same. Every second awake was a living nightmare and the only thing that stopped it was playing dead. But the voice always found him, called him a liar, humiliated him. Dead, it said. He was dead. He almost believed it, sometimes. It wasn't hard to believe, because he felt it. He felt the cold, the serenity of death. It made him fight a little, like drowning but only swimming to get his head out of the water.   
He couldn't make himself swim to the shore. He couldn’t see the shore.

When did he become a broken toy? His stillborn made him fall into a dark dam, the thought of his mate lying to protect himself, and then finding out he wasn't lying. It was just Will. Incapable of keeping his baby safe until birth. Incapable of giving life. 

But he had a son. He was alive. Noah was healthy and he knew he loved him. He didn't see Will as a broken toy. Kids forget broken toys. Noah loved him and cared for him. Noah's soul reached for his. It lightened his dark cage enough to see him. To really see him.   
Noah was there to save him from drowning.

His mate wasn't. Hannibal was on the shore, waiting for him. Their bond was almost broken. It was so damaged Will couldn't feel it anymore. But it was there. And Hannibal was there, too. Every day, every day of his miserable life since that day, Hannibal was there. How could that voice tell him he didn't love him?

But love was so far away, and only sorrow and grief filled his days. And he hardly endured it. But he was alive. 

Will took a decision. He would keep himself over the water. Head and arms, to get to that shore. To Hannibal, with Noah's soul as his guide. Because that's what Noah was doing. He was shedding light into a dark sea.  
The first step was hard. He'd been inactive for so long his limbs felt numb and heavy. He'd lost weight but that was easy to get back. 

With titanic strength, Will pushed himself up, legs hanging off the bed. He looked down at them and he was surprised to see them so thin. Then the tray on his bedside caught his eye again and Will started to devour all the food in there. It burnt his stomach, full too soon, but he needed all the strength he could gain. 

When he was finished, he realized his stomach felt good full and warm. Then he pushed himself off the bed and into the bathroom. A hot, long shower finally woke him up and, when he finished and looked himself in the mirror, he saw a familiar, yet strange face. His face was sharper, bones giving him angles and shadows that never were there before. He'd grown the same beard he had before he met Hannibal; and his wings, almost retracted, needed a long session of grooming. His arms hang like lifeless branches and the muscles that covered his torso and chest seemed vanished. All bones almost visible. He looked dead.

First he needed to shave and cut his curls an inch or two, and when he finished he was already tired. So he took one of Hannibal’s big bathrobes, put it on, and went back to bed. Winston appeared later and warmed his feet. They warmed up sooner, this time.

He woke up when there was still light out there, and there was another tray with fruit, salad and soap. He ate it all, brushed his teeth and went back to sleep.

The morning light pulled him out of his dreamless sleep. The voice didn't visit him this time and he couldn't remember one time it didn't. He smiled for the first time in months and turned his head to see another tray with more food.  
Before taking a bite, he thought Hannibal should have noticed the previous empty trays. Hannibal should be fretting by now, nervous and unsure of what to do. So Will ate his soup, fruit and two slices of bread, put on a t-shirt, bottoms and a warm robe, then took the tray and went downstairs. Will saw a clock and checked it was 5 pm but the house was dark. 

Suddenly, his dogs appeared out of nowhere and started to whine, jump and cry for his attention. Will left the tray on the counter in the kitchen and sat down on the floor to hug and pet his friends. They licked at his face, gently bit hands and sniffed his hair. They were happy to finally see him out of bed, sick and depressed. 

His depression wouldn't go soon, he knew that, but they just loved to see him in a better shape. Then he heard footsteps, and recognized Hannibal. He walked light, steady and always knowing his destiny. But this time he was in a hurry, nervous.   
Will pulled himself off the floor before Hannibal reached the kitchen and they were face to face the next second.

For a long time, they just looked at each other in a comfortable silence, just wondering what to say or do. Finally, Will sighed and half smiled, still stroking Sasha's head.

“Hi”

It was the first word he spoke in weeks and it came croaky and almost inaudible.

“Hello, Will” he greeted him.

Will saw his fingers twitch, not knowing what to do with his hands, so he just joined them in front of him. Will smirked and stepped closer without breaking eye contact. Then he opened his arms and threw them around Hannibal’s waist. Will nuzzled his nose and forehead against his mate's neck, basking on the smell he'd missed for so long. His mate, his lost Alpha.

“Oh God, I'm sorry for leaving” Will apologized, feeling strong arms and soft feathers surround him.

All this time he was aware of Hannibal’s frustration, but he'd never realized how hurt he was. How much pain he felt for losing their bond and seeing his mate more depressed each day.

“It's not your fault, Will” Hannibal answered.

“But I just hid from everything and everyone. I left you with Noah and Abigail and...”

Will's words died and finally he started to sob and cry on his mate's shoulder. He let go all his sorrow and sadness. He let the memory of their unborn child overcome time. He reconciled the feelings of guilt and hatred. His soul finally found a way to let go; a way to move on and embrace the place that was left in Hannibal’s own soul. It hurt. It physically hurt his heart and head. It burned his insides and warmed his toes and fingers. His heavy limbs seemed to float and strengthen. He breathed and the air seemed clean.

The scent of his Alpha was back, the purity and authenticity of it all was breathtaking. He wasn't cured, but the bond was restored. It hurt. But it made him happy and completed their souls. They were nothing without the other and the experience almost killed him and destroyed Hannibal.   
Only Noah held them together. Noah's soul was the force that helped them live without each other. 

When they could breath normal again, and feel only each other again, Hannibal pulled Will apart to see him. Will felt a large hand cupping his cheek and then tilting his face up, to one side. Maroon orbs stared back and Will could see how damaged his mate was. His eyes were sad but his smile told him he would never abandon him.  
Will wasn't alone.

“Can you kiss me? I've miss-” interrupted by his mate's kiss, he just relaxed and kissed him back, relieved.

Hannibal kissed him gently, pressing lightly when he sucked on his bottom lip or deepened the kiss pulling them close, gripping his hair. It was hard to stop kissing, after being deprived for so long. They were both breathless by the time they decided to part away. Will leaned on the counter and Hannibal stepped back.

“That was a good 'welcome back' present, thank you” Will said.

“Don't thank me for kissing you” Hannibal answered, holding his hand. “Noah will be here soon, shall we start making dinner?”

“Sure”

Hannibal nodded, opened a drawer and took a white apron. He tied it up around his waist and started to take pans and bags of frozen food.

“Are those...?” Will asked, pointing at the bag Hannibal put down.

“No. Of course not. I keep those in the top freezer”

“Hannibal... I'm starting to think... Why did it happen?” 

Hannibal turned around, but didn't say a word. Will could see him thinking. The miscarriage? The broken bond? The depression? Everything was the same, but it could only have one answer.

“I'm not a delicate flower. I'm not a human” Will complained, shaking his head. “I'm an Angel. Do you know the percentage of Omega Angels miscarriages? Less than 2%, and it doesn't matter what race the mate is. Hannibal, it shouldn't have happened”

Will looked up, looking for an explanation, a theory. Anything.

“I've been living with that question for two years”

“And?”

Hannibal clenched his jaw and stepped closer, slowly. Will saw a predator, natural killer. A loving mate that could kill hundreds to protect what he loves the most. He behaved like he was going to deliver very bad news.

“Will, this isn't something you want to hear now” he said in a soft voice, the one you use to soothe a scared animal. “You can't-”

“I can handle it” Will assured him.

Hannibal stood tall in front of him, shadowing him from the light on the other side of the kitchen. His gaze said he was sorry, he wanted Will to change his mind. Because he needn't hear this. But Will wanted to alleviate the pain, to make sure it would never happen again. If it was entirely his fault, he wanted to know, to stop it from happening again and destroy the family.

“Your own body rejected our baby because you were so full of fear and anger your body shut you out. Your imagination, your gift is a double blade and you cut yourself with it”

Will frowned and his shoulders slumped. He could remember how angry he was with Hannibal because he thought he was lying. He even believed Hannibal was perverse enough to experiment with him, with their baby, to see how long he could keep them on the edge. He formed such a twisted image of his mate he barely recognized the reality later. 

It was his fault. His baby was meant to be, but Will slipped and his mind played dirty tricks.

“We can't help what we are, right?” Will asked, almost crying. “I can't help being one step into the definition of mentally insane and one foot on the genius spectrum. And you can't help being a sentient monster in love with a madman”

“No, we can't fight our natures” Hannibal responded. To Will, his voice sounded distant.

“I tried to hide yours. I tried to push it out of you and our relationship, and replace it with something else. You are what you are, and I didn't accept it. My fear for your nature killed our baby”

Then he felt Hannibal’s arms around him, comforting him even though tears wouldn't fall. They refused to fall. He'd been weak all this time but that was it. He was going to get better. For Noah, for Hannibal and for himself.

“Please, wait. I haven't finished” Will said, however, he couldn't let go of him. He closed his eyes, breathed the essence of his mate and gently pushed him away. He looked into his eyes and gathered all the courage he had. “I want you to be you”

“You mean-”

“Yes” Will nodded. He saw Hannibal’s eyes looking anywhere but his. “The only way we can work it out is accepting each other. Full acceptance. What I went through during Noah's pregnancy was a small taste of what our life should be”

Will lifted his arm and took Hannibal’s cheek in his hand, thumb under his chin, then gently turned his head so they could look at each other again. 

“You looked after us”

“I'm still a monster” Hannibal stated.

He'd never seen him so devastated with himself. This wasn't the Hannibal he'd met; the proud man was replaced by someone shy, almost beaten up and humiliated by his own nature, or the new vision he had of it. Will didn't want to go back, but Hannibal needed his old confidence too.

“Didn't you say even monsters are capable of loving? Love yourself again, because your love for me almost makes you disappear”

Then something inside him told him Hannibal understood. His eyes weren't so sad and it was a good start. Will smiled unknowingly, pleased to be back from his slumber. 

“I almost didn't make it. You and Noah have been the reason I'm alive”

“I was so scared” Hannibal confessed. “You mean the world to me and I almost lose you for being the way I am”

“And I fell in love with you because I trusted my instincts. I wasn't afraid of the darkness I felt in you but when I found out...” now it was his turn to look away. “Now it doesn't matter”

He felt Hannibal nodding and let his arm hang limp by his side.

“I want you to get better, Will. Is this how you think you're going to recover?”

“I think, but I'm not sure. I just know I can't live with fear. So please, make me understand”

When Will saw the look on Hannibal’s face this time, he felt a shiver down his spine. The intensity of his emotions passed through his soul and Will saw a glimpse of the passion he felt.

“I'll make dinner while I tell you” he offered, making Will smile.

Will made an effort and jumped on the counter, like old times when he just sat there to see his mate 'dance' in the kitchen. He always saw it like a dance, with all those calculated movements. Hannibal owned the kitchen like no one else. It was a special place for him and Will was going to really understand now.

“Rudeness is the worst way to treat a person” he began, replacing the frozen bags for new ones from the top freezer. “You know how I feel about these people” Hannibal waited until Will nodded, then resumed what he wanted to say. “When they show how they are inside, I only see rotten fruits that endanger my peace and everything around it. They don't deserve it and I can barely see them as less than a person. No matter they're humans, Angels, Demons or Nephilim. They are nothing, and they reduce themselves to it. Therefore I can't think of a single reason why they should be left alive. Will, I reduce them to nothing out of a pile of walking offense. That's when I make art from mud”

While the soup boiled in a low fire, Hannibal cut half an onion in thin slices and added it to the blender, next to other ingredients of vegetables and small portions of different organs.

Will swallowed and cleared his throat.

“I kill whomever wrongs me or my family. Sometimes the prey shows itself, sometimes I'm forced to find them”

“That's how you targeted the victims I ate for my pregnancy?” Will asked.

“Yes. Abigail had a list, too. She helped me. It wasn't a secret”

“I know, I know” Will nodded.

“Anything else you need to know?”

“No, that's all for now”

Hannibal gave a quick nod before returning his focus on the kitchen.

“Where is Noah?” Will asked, frowning.

“With Neal Decroix”

“Wi-With him? What's he doing with our son? Is he alright?”

Hannibal laughed softly and put a reassuring hand on his leg.

“He's our son's tutor. I had one when I was very young; then, when he died, I spent years in an orphanage before earning my own freedom again. After years of seeking revenge I found myself quite lost. Decroix helped me out and looked after me. I owe him my life and half the knowledge I possess now. It was only logical to ask him” Hannibal explained.

“Seems good to me” Will shrugged. “If you trust this man so much, I trust him too”

“Good!” Hannibal exclaimed with a triumphant smile.

 

Only a few minutes later, they heard the dogs barking at the door, jumping and wiggling their tails. Will jumped off the counter and hurried to open the door before they rang the bell. When Noah saw him, his face seemed to light and his smile warmed Will's heart.

He took his son up and hugged him until his arms began to ache. 

“Dad, you're so much better!” his son yelled.

“Of course I am, Noah” Will kissed his son until he started to laugh and complain.

He took his son to the kitchen, followed by a very pleased Neal, and Noah ran to hug Hannibal, minding the dirty apron.

“See? I told you dad was going to be fine!” Noah exclaimed at his daddy.

“As usual, you're always right” Hannibal bowed and Noah laughed.

“Are you staying for dinner, Dr. Decroix?” Will asked, turning to face the old man.

“Nah, you three have a lot to talk about. I better go now. Noah? Behave and take care of them, okay? Will you do that for me?”

“Sure, Dr. Decroix” Noah promised.

Will guided Hannibal’s friend out of the house and thanked him for taking care of his son. When he was back in the kitchen, he stopped and stared at his family, happily cooking and sharing glances. Hannibal told him what to do with this or that, asked him to fetch some ingredient for him... and Noah always knew where to look, where to go and how to stay away of his father's way. Noah was just like Hannibal. It was a dance for them.

After a long dinner, Noah went straight to his room after taking his plates to the kitchen and kissing them goodnight. Will and Hannibal cleaned walked the dogs until Will wanted to go back. He was tired and he needed to rest.

Hannibal sat him down on the floor, over the thick mat and two comfortable pillows and asked Will if he wanted his wings groomed. Will accepted immediately with a broad smile. He felt Hannibal sitting behind him, on the bed. Then his fingers grasping the edges of his shirt.

“Lift your arms” Hannibal asked. Will felt the puff of air of his breathing against his ear and hair.

Shivering, Will obeyed and Hannibal pulled and took his shirt off. Then he flexed the muscles of his back and sides and his wings appeared. He felt their heaviness and had to rest them on the bed behind him. Hannibal started right away, stroking his neck and down his back, then up again between his wings. He kept his hand there, flat, warm. Gently he pushed with the heel of his hand, then with his fingers.  
Will sighed in relief, feeling the glands releasing scented oil that was meant to soothe and clean. When there was enough, Hannibal gathered in his hands and started to caress the top of his wing. He felt immediately the effect of the calming oil. Hannibal straightened his feathers, massaged the bones and muscles of his wings and cleaned every inch of them for the next two hours. 

Will was barely able to articulate a word or even move a muscle after he finished. Hannibal cleaned his hands and when he returned from the bathroom, took Will in his arms, careful with the sensitive wings, and put him down on the bed on his side. He folded the wings close to his back before joining him. Face to face, Will took his hand and made him get closer, until their chests were almost touching. Will put his head under his mate's chin and felt heavy wings over his body, keeping him warm and surrounded by his smell. 

“Sleep now, my love” a kiss on the forehead and Will was almost gone. “You'll feel better tomorrow, and the next day, and I'll be there for you”

 

The days passed and with Hannibal’s direct help, Will started to gain strength on his muscles, color on his cheeks and the intense blue of his eyes. His wings weren't heavy anymore and the long walks with the dogs were as welcomed as his mate's arms late in the night, when sleep claimed him right after laying on the bed. Some nights were worse and Will awoke crying and suffocated. Hannibal talked him through until he went back to sleep.  
Some days Will stared at some random point for minutes before he snapped back to reality. But he never failed again. The darkness was behind, close but not over him anymore. 

Too busy with Will's recovery, they waited a couple of weeks until he felt better to call their friends with the good news. Abigail and Walt were the first ones to know. They celebrated his recovery with a nice, calm dinner.

Abigail told them she was getting better at the academy. Her superiors were very please with her job and Alana's occasional sessions were still of value. She also told them there was a small inconvenience that wasn't much of a problem anymore. It happened to be Carrie Keller, sister of one of Garret Jacob Hobbs' victims. She was convinced Abigail killed her sister and, in a reckless act of revenge, wanted to get close to her, slowly, without being noticed, to strike. Abigail saw her almost everyday, stalking her. She'd been like that for a little longer than a year and she was beginning to get tired.

“I say we kill her and she won't bother us again” Walt shrugged, drinking from his cup of wine.

“She isn't doing anything” Abigail said, in a tone that told them they'd had this conversation before.

“Yet”

“We'll be expecting her” Abigail assured him. “She doesn't know she's become sloppy. It'll be easy”

 

A few days later, Alana came to their house and spent almost the whole day catching up with Will while Hannibal worked on two new catalogs and inventories from Florence and Sienna.   
Will was happy to hear she was now working as a profiler with Jack Crawford and only gave a few conferences at the academy. She was busy and happy with Beverly. 

“After all the things we've all been though, you're the one who has the strength to come back stronger, Will” she said before kissing his cheek and leaving.

 

Three weeks after leaving the bed, Will started to feel the first symptoms of his next Heat. He was unable to stay still and, for the first time since before the miscarriage, he felt excited. It happened when he lay in bed, listening to the water of the shower. He pictured Hannibal naked, water falling and dribbling all over his body, hot and steaming the mirror. Then the water stopped and, a few minutes later, Hannibal opened the door and appeared with a towel low around his hips. Knees down and hips up, his body was still wet.

Will was going to ask him to come back to bed before Noah opened the door to ask if they could go to the park because his friend, Lucy, was going to be there today.  
Hannibal turned, smiling, to ask Will if he felt good enough to go to the park. Will acceded happily and hurried to the shower before Noah left. In there, he relieved himself. It felt good, but empty without the one who caused it in the first place. Quick and barely noticeable, this was only a reminder of the upcoming Heat.

The day was hot anyway but knew the difference by now. He needed to stretch his wings, offer them to Hannibal. Of a bright brown, almost gold, his wings caught his eye right away. Looking back at Will, he knew Hannibal was going to put one and one together.

“It's close, now” Will informed. He heard the voice of his son, laughing and screaming. 

“How close?”

“Maybe tomorrow? We should take Noah to Abigail house on our way back” Will suggested.

“I'll tell him” before he stood up, Will caught his wrist and pulled him down.

“Wait. Let him play with... Lucy?” 

Their fingers intertwined and they shared a quiet moment of silence and comfort they couldn't afford these days. They were 100% concentrated on Will's recovery for his Heat but they never talked about it. Will decided it was time to talk.

“What are we going to do if I get pregnant?”

It was a real possibility, but Will was still weak and another pregnancy, miscarriage or not, could destroy all work they'd done. 

“You can always abort, Will. It's your choice and I will support you. However, I believe this Heat will only consolidate our bond”

Will squeezed, telling him he understood. 

He'd never thought of abortion. He was too scared. What if something went wrong? What if he'd regret it later? He didn't want to get pregnant now: it was too soon and he wasn't recovered. It would only make things worse. Abortion had to be the only option, so he wished his body recognized its own limits this time. 

 

Noah understood he had to stay with her sister and her mate, so he just nodded and sat back, listening to Bach on his phone. He loved Hannibal’s music since he was a baby, but Bach always had a calming effect on his mind. He fell asleep with a soft smile on his face and Walt took him inside.

Once home, Hannibal walked the dogs while Will showered and made a sandwich. He wasn't hungry but his mate told him it was good to have a light second lunch. He made it up, of course but Will didn't argue.   
He was finishing his sandwich when Hannibal came back. The dogs greeted Will but went outside to drink water and nap under the sun. Hannibal approached Will and asked for a kiss he gladly gave him. 

Suddenly, a wave of heat had him struggling with his shirt.

“It's starting... sooner than I thought” Will gasped when Hannibal sucked on a spot of his neck.

“Upstairs” Hannibal said, hands wandering on his sides and back. 

Will nodded and made a huge effort to push him away, take his hand and climb up the stairs. The moment the set foot inside the bedroom, Will felt a hot gush of thick liquid running down his leg. It was gross for him, but it made Hannibal’s pupils dilate and nostrils flare. His Heat had begun and he craved Hannibal’s touch like a thirsty man deprived of water for too long. 

Fumbling with his trousers, Will tried to keep up with Hannibal’s kiss. In a frantic whirlwind of clothing flying across the room and unfortunate kicks, they made it to the bed almost undamaged. Will fell on his back, but the moment Hannibal was on him, devouring his neck and jaw, Will hooked one leg over Hannibal’s waist and, pulling up with his hips and a foot firmly planted on the bed, he managed to turn them over. Hannibal smiled, pleased to find Will more than willing after two years of bad experiences.

Will straddled Hannibal’s hips and squared his shoulders. He placed his hands on his mate's chest, feeling his strong muscles react to his touch. Seeing in his eyes how much he desired him, how much he needed Will. And Will extended his wings, long, bright and healthy again. Hannibal clenched his jaw and grabbed Will's thighs, stroked them with trembling hands.  
He could feel his cock hard against his backside, and Will gave him a devious smile. 

“Why don't you put your fingers inside?” Will asked, tilting his head to one side. 

Hannibal gripped tight his buttock and pulled him up, over his belly. Closer now, Hannibal pulled himself up in a sitting position and teased with a kiss that never gave. Lips barely touching for long seconds distracted Will until he cried out in surprise when he felt two fingers spreading his natural lubrication around his hole. The area was so sensitive it made him produce more liquid that landed on his fingers and hand.   
Will moaned when the tips of both fingers started to slowly push inside. His body welcomed it but he was aware of the fact that he hadn't enjoyed sex for over two years. Still, he shook with pleasure when Hannibal’s fingers buried as deep as they could go, and his body trembled when those fingers moved.

They never looked away from each other, they eyes locked and their mouths ready to join and seal with a kiss whatever they felt like celebrating. When he felt his cock surrounded by warm, slick fingers, his lips parted and, as he got closer to his mate's mouth, the hand pressed lightly. He gasped and Hannibal connected their lips, tongue stroking his own, caressing it while his hands worked him inside and outside.   
Will started to demand more, swaying his hips, until Hannibal complied and replaced his fingers with his cock. Thicker and longer than he remembered how it felt inside, Will groaned the moment the tip went in. 

Hannibal held him up and pulled out.

“I'm hurting you” he panted.

Will wouldn't meet his eye and Hannibal forced Will to look down at him.

“It's nothing”

“I'm hurting you, but it's nothing?”

“I'm in Heat, come on... forget it”

But Hannibal didn't forget it. He flipped them over, quickly but careful with Will's wings.

“Stay still” he commanded. Will nodded, but he was starting to squirm under any touch he received. 

Hannibal leaned on one arm and opened the top drawer of his bedside table. He took a black tie and let it hang in front of Will. He was asking for permission and Will nodded. He brought his hands up, the back of them against the elaborate bronze bars of the headboard. He wasted little time tying his hands to it.   
Then Will felt again the comfortable weight of his mate between his legs and on his belly and torso. His mate's face abandoned all traces of fun and he looked more concerned than turned on. But his cock was still hard against his own so Will didn't worry about it. Instead, he very much liked what Hannibal was doing. First, he caressed his arms, neck and nipples, making him gasp. They were hard and his skin was burning. Hannibal kissed and licked both before traveling down. Kissed and nibbled everywhere his mouth reached. 

When Will expected the heat of his mouth on his cock, Hannibal opened his legs further apart and parted his cheeks to lick and penetrate his entrance with his tongue. Will bared his neck and arched his back when a hand returned to his erection.

For long minutes, Hannibal properly stretched him with his mouth and four fingers before even move from there. When he thought that was enough, he pulled out and positioned back where he started. First he kissed Will once again, and Will tasted his own fluids. Hannibal lifted one leg and hooked it over his waist, then did the same with the other and pressed his cock in. This time, it went inside smoothly. It was still thicker than four fingers but neither of them could wait any longer.

“I need to touch you, please” Will whined when Hannibal pulled at his hair and licked his earlobe. 

Hannibal let loose the tie and Will's hands were on his neck and back. He pressed the muscles that relaxed the ones holding his wings. They appeared and, panting, Hannibal started to thrust into Will. The angel whimpered and mumbled nonsense that turned into a cacophony of panting and grunting until Hannibal bit his neck and pumped his cock to make him come. When he did, Will didn't say a word, not a noise. Hannibal’s knot started to fill in that moment, when Will was too far gone to notice any pain.

He just fell back and took all the seed Hannibal shot into him, and wished it went all with the water of the shower. It wasn't the right moment to get pregnant again. At least sex was beginning to feel like it felt before.

 

The Heat lasted three more days but it had to pass another week to confirm if he was or wasn't pregnant. Decroix dropped by to take Noah for their lessons but stayed for a few more minutes to examine Will's condition.  
He wasn't pregnant, but his body was almost healed and his soul was completely bound to Hannibal’s, Abigail's and Noah's. He had all ingredients to be happy again. He just needed time and daily care.

As weeks passed, Will was feeling like his old self. He wanted to rest and enjoy the things he couldn't before. His dogs were the firsts to notice the change and behaved normally again. Even Winston seemed to get younger.   
Alana and Jack came one day but they phoned Jack ten minutes after they arrived. There was a murder and he needed to go, but Alana wasn't required this time. 

“There's something I needed to tell you. To both of you” Alana said, addressing Hannibal, too. He sat by Will's side.

“What is it? About Jack?” Will asked, suspicious. “Don't tell me he brought you to convince me to go back...”

“What?” she frowned and shook her head. “No, God no... It's about someone else. One of my patients. She's been on therapy for over two years now and I know she's... somehow related to Abigail and her biological father” she lowered her voice, as if she was telling them a secret. It was a secret but Will knew she loved Abigail and would do anything to protect her.

“Is Abigail in danger?” Hannibal asked.

Obviously he knew who it was. Carrie Keller. But they had to look surprised and concerned. Will trusted Walt could protect Abigail in case she was ambushed or tricked. She was good, but there were others very good, too. Walt almost killed her and Hannibal.

“I don't know. I'm not sure but sometimes... there's this look on her face” she didn't want to reveal anything else, so Hannibal stopped her.

“Don't worry, Alana. She's a grown woman, studying to be an FBI Agent. She's a survivor from horrors we don't know how she went through. She's safe”

Alana left shortly after Noah came home. Hannibal made dinner and put Noah to sleep but Will noticed a change in his look. He was plotting something and he waited until they were both alone to talk.

“What are you going to do?” Will asked, casually.

“I knew some Keller brothers, long ago. I saw them every week when I visited a patient. They worked for a big corporation but they were transferred to the private properties of my patient's brother. She was scared of him, you know? And the Keller brothers always cheered her up. Good men, both of them. Reginald died in the farm a few years ago but Robert didn't leave the farm. Instead, his salary was higher than any of the other employees and no one knew why. He started making friends, dangerous friends. But my patient stopped knowing about them later, when she moved from that manor... Maybe Robert took his family to the farm, and when his daughters left for college and one of them died, Robert and his friends taught her about family and revenge”

“My God, what the hell do you mean?” Will was lost but Hannibal apparently knew exactly what was all this. “Why didn't you say anything before?”

“I wasn't sure, but now it's all clear...” Hannibal lost track of time and Will knew his Mind Palace opened itself for him. It was a cold sensation and he knew it wasn't all that pleasant. Minutes later, Hannibal seemed to be back with him. “I need to see someone. If I'm not wrong, all this will stop”

They argued for about an hour but Hannibal had made his choice. He needed to go to protect his family and remind someone his place and who put him there.   
Hannibal left by midnight and drove for a few hours until the big manor. He waited in the car until dawn and then entered the property. When he parked in front of the portentous building, he got out and rang the bell. He knew there were cameras everywhere, but he also knew no one was to know of his presence, except the personal valet of Mr. Verger and Verger himself. A tall, nervous man lead him to the second floor and into a big room. It was full of beautiful drawings, statues and unique pieces of art. None of them interested him. He walked right in front of the bed, covered in thick curtains to block any light. 

He opened one and entered the smelly sanctuary of Mason Verger. The remaining eye moved and squinted when he recognized him.

“My my... you honor me with your presence, Mr. Lecter”

M's, p's were lost but Hannibal knew very well how he talked now.

“You look stunning, Mason”

“Fuck you!” no f's, either.

“Ts ts ts” Hannibal scolded him. “Now, now; if you're rude, you know what happens to your tongue, Mason”

Mason Verger didn't answer.

“I know Keller is still here. You couldn't help looking at his girls and so you made him bring them here. You couldn't miss the chance to look at them again, even though they're too old for you. Don't tell me it isn't true, Mason, I know you well. So if you hold dear your miserable life, make Keller forget his personal family tragedy or he won't have a family anymore”

“Why should I care about-”

“You must, because you didn't deny it and it's all a petty plan to anger me. You didn't anger me, Mason, you're as stupid as a fly and I can finish you with my hand” Hannibal threatened. He reached out to take between his fingertips the tube that allowed Verger to breathe and squeezed until the crippled man started to wheeze. Then he let go.

“Did you see, Mason? I allow you to live, so don't bother me and I won't hurt you”

“Vicious little beast” Mason spat, still fighting to breathe. “Just go and leave me to die. I will, soon, you know. Just go. The girl won't be around anymore”

Hannibal nodded and left, walked down the stairs and got out of the Manor alone. He should have killed Verger, he thought as he turned around the road and marched home.

 

“Sir?”

“Yes, Cordell?”

“Did it work?”

“It did, my friend. The bastard bit the apple, now the poison will take him back”

“Amazing, sir”

“Put me on the phone with Carlo, I want my girls here”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything to say? Bad or good, just tell me.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ummm... things are getting better and worse at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I'm so sorry for being so late, but I've been so busy and tired these days... Also, we're like two or three chapters from the end and that makes me sad.

Cordell Doemling waited in the van, with a window down so the smoke vanished in the chill air outside. Mr. Verger wouldn't survive a cough attack if he ever smoked near him. Sometimes he was tempted. The bastard... he was rude to him and to everyone around. His ugly voice and uglier appearance made him have nightmares some nights. 

The money was worth it. It really was, but he barely had any time for himself. The special occasions he had to run some errands out of the Manor were basically his favorite time. He could see the children laugh and play for a few minutes...

But this time it was different. Mr. Verger had very specific instructions. The brothers Carlo and Matteo would arrive shortly with their pigs. There were fourteen of them, and a pregnant sow that needed to be treated carefully for it's condition and bad temper. Apparently, females were more aggressive and even more pregnant.   
The brothers would be there before the animals, to make sure the farmers from the Manor handled the cargo correctly. 

Cordell had met them before, a few years ago and really hoped their manners and smell changed. 

“Sir” a woman said. “They're coming in five minutes”

“Thank you, sweetheart” he smiled, threw the cigarette out of the window and started the van.

Cordell parked outside the private, small hangar and waited until he saw the jet with the words Verger Farmers. He thought the brothers were a huge waste of money but Verger laughed at him and reminded him he had money to bury a small city.

When the door opened and Cordell saw the short, obese man, he recognized Carlo immediately. Then a tall, thin man behind him carrying a shaggy bag over his shoulder followed him downstairs. They looked worse than the last time and probably smelled dirty too.

“Welcome to Maryland”

“And I thought good Mason would come say hello and stretch his legs for us” Carlo laughed, an ugly sound that made Cordell burn.

Of course, he laughed too and told them to wait for the plane with their pigs.

“The trailers are ready outside, so the moment we receive notice of the plane coming in, I'll send word to bring them right here”

“Trailers, you said” Carlo said. “A small one for the sow, then?”

“Of course, as you commanded” Cordell confirmed.

“Giovanni, Kenny and Gino are taking care of them, brother” 

Then, the two brothers turned away and started to talk in their language.

The wait didn't last long, and changing the smelly, screaming animals took less than half an hour, so they were on their way back to the Manor before lunch.  
When they arrived, Matteo left with the others and Cordell was left with Carlo for the meeting with Mr. Verger.

“Hello, my old friend” Mason exclaimed, 'm' and 'f' lost.

“Mason! Good to see you, man”

Carlo stood two feet from Mason Verger, smiling his false repertory of smiles each time they talked. He was an assassin, a brute and not as smart as he thought he was. But he bred two different races of pigs and boars and the beasts he'd brought with him were the product. He was a genius with a deviant mind and unlimited money.

They talked past afternoon while Cordell tended Mr. Verger and their guests. 

“I think the children are ready for a demonstration” said Gino, a handsome man, half Scottish and with a good gift for languages. 

“Oh! Magnificent, don't you think, Cordell?” asked Mr. Verger.

“Delightful, sir”

“Come with us then. Let's enjoy the fruit of so many years of hard work and a fortune”

Cordell wheeled Mason Verger outside the Manor and followed the men to the new barn they built last month. It was a two story, rectangular and painted red. It looked like any other barn, but this one had a wooden pit built inside. The animals they've brought in were in their stalls, behind the rounded pit. There was a metal cross in the middle with straps all over it, ready for the honor guest.

Cordell wheeled Verger up the platform that formed the pit and waited for the others to bring the man they chose for the demonstration, tie him up and put themselves away from the danger zone. The man started to scream the moment he woke up and the pigs screamed too, for a different reason. They'd been trained to attack and eat when the screaming began. And they'd been trained well.

By the end of it all, Cordell could barely stand on his feet. Lightheaded and stomach-sick, he had to wait until his master told him to return them all back to the Manor. It had been the most unsettling thing he'd ever seen or heard. And he knew the next one would be of Verger's own choice. 

 

“Dr. Bloom?” Carrie Keller entered the room while Alana finished a phone call.

“Hello, Carrie” Alana stood up and lead her to her chair.

“Oh, I won't stay for too long” she excused herself.

Alana frowned and stepped back. “If you had other plans you could have called me, Carrie”

“Oh no, no... it's not that. I'm done with this. Therapy has been very helpful but I've been here for too long, now. I've friends and even a job at a coffee shop. But... well, I came here for the wrong reasons and now I think I've had enough. Baltimore is not for me. I'll stay a little longer but that's it”

Alana listened in silence, nodding. She understood, of course, but it felt... wrong. All of a sudden, after so long in therapy, trying very hard to get her away from Abigail... and then she's in a hurry for leaving?

“Well, it's my job to tell you I don't it's wise to suddenly go and leave everything you've accomplished by yourself behind, but if you think it's the right decision, then you have my approval” Alana stated, holding her hand out, waiting for Carrie to shake it.

Carrie took her hand and nodded, then turned away.

“You know...” Carrie said, by the door, before leaving “You've been a great help all these time. But... things have to move on and I can't stay”

Alana sat behind her desk, feeling like this encounter wasn't real. It felt empty and meaningless. And Carrie's eyes hid something darker. Not that she was bad or had a dark soul. She was sad and she would never recover from her sister's death. But now it wasn't her business.

After her next session, Alana left the office and found Jack Crawford having a coffee in a conference room, where he had to debrief a team he was going to lead for a special test.

“Hey! Do you have a minute?” Alana asked. Crawford shrugged and waited for her next question. He always did that. “What are you doing?”

“Trying very hard not to fall asleep” Jack joked.

“Very funny. Do you know anything about Will? It's been like... two months”

Alana had been busy with her work at the Academy and as a profiler with the team. She wanted to visit them but Bev's Heat was close and she couldn't risk missing any minute of it. Alana even waited for her until she was finished working so they went home together.

“I saw them and the kid yesterday” Jack said, going through a pile of files, half focused on what he was doing. “That kid's something else...”

“Yes” she smiled. “He looks like Will but has a lot of Hannibal in him”

“I don't know what's worse...” her friend mumbled and she slapped his arm.

“What do you mean with that?”

“What? The kid has... whatever Will has, too. And that look he always gives to people.. it's unsettling. But the kid is actually nice”

Alana laughed and nodded, changing the weight from one foot to the other. Those heels were killing her.

“Have you seen Bev?”

“She's with Keller and Price, driving them crazy”

Alana shrugged. That wasn't new.

“Well, she's a perfectionist”

“Are you two okay? How are things going?”

That saddened her. Jack always asked people about their personal lives out of good intentions, but he always suffered when they told them something better than his own situation. Poor Bella.

“Good, good... her Heat is close, so we're staying home for a few days. Tomorrow or next, we don't know yet”

Jack hummed and nodded as he sat and sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“Still not thinking about kids?”

“God no...” she smiled. “We're too comfortable with our lives now, and a kid would only change us so much...”

“I understand” he smiled, sadly.

Everyone knew he'd wanted to have kids but when he had the chance he realized he was too old and Bella was too sick. It was a sad story and he wouldn't get a happy ending.

“Can I sit in the back and listen? I really have nothing to do right now”

“Be my guest” Jack said.

 

It wasn't until next day after work, when Beverly was taking a shower and Alana went through the Carrie Keller files when she realized why the girl was so peculiar. She was following orders. It was clear now... She'd been repeating the same arguments and false feelings over and over for months, since the beginning of their sessions. When someone lies, they tend to repeat the lie until they make sure they believe themselves so everyone else believes it too. Nothing changes, no matter how many times they tell the same story. This time, someone had to tell her a lie, to repeat it to... her? Was Alana some pawn in someone's scheme? Was Abigail the target, again?

“Working?” Bev said, drying her hair off in a towel. And... nothing else.

“Surely we can change that” Alana offered, placing the files on her bedside table.

Later that night, Alana was still awake, next to her mate, but unable to let her worries aside. After another twenty minutes of useless effort to sleep, Alana disentangled from Beverly and left her a note over her book. It was five o'clock, but Angels, Demons and Nephilim alike don't need as much sleep as humans do. 

It was getting colder and it would be freezing by the end of the month, but Alana loved it. Her wings were starting to get fluffy and softer. And, like every Demon, and especially, an Omega, Beverly was always warm, so she had an excuse to cuddle and cling to her during sleep.

Now the car was cold and the windows were steamy, as she stared at the digital clock, glowing in the dark. It was still early but she knew Carrie woke up soon, had breakfast and then went out for a run. Carrie was very proud to tell her, because she managed to forget everything else while running.

After half an hour she started thinking it was a bad idea and she should go back to bed for one more hour with her mate. But in that moment, she saw Carrie coming out of her apartment. She wasn't dressed for a run, though. Alana frowned and waited until Carrie was half way the block, then followed her for another half an hour until she jumped when she recognized the place. It was a block of apartments at the beginning, forty years ago, but then, through the years, it all grew around it, making it look like a small town, near Quantico. Some cadets, students and professors couldn't live in the Academy buildings so they bought or rented small, decent apartments nearby. Like Abigail and her mate.

“Abigail...”

Alana parked before Carrie noticed her car, as she was standing next to Abigail's home, just watching.   
She got out of the car and rounded the whole building to be next to her, at the other side of the building. Alana waited a few minutes of huffs and otherwise silence until her phone rang.

“Yes?...Uh-uh... No! No! I thought... But I-yes... Yes, of course, daddy. I thought... I hate that man, daddy, I hated him when I was a little girl and I still hate him... But he's dragged you into this! He's dragged us both and I can't stop it now! Daddy, please!” Carrie sounded more and more frustrated, and almost crying by the end of the phone call. “Verger's personal Vendetta is not our business, daddy. He can't just boss around. He isn't my boss!... No....no. Okay, no... Then I'll see you tomorrow? Okay. But this isn't over, daddy. She must pay... No, I don't wanna turn into him... that's not fair... well, yes? Okay, see you soon, daddy”

Alana saw Carrie pass almost in front of her and didn't notice her presence. She counted it as a victory and then rushed back to the car. She didn't know what to do then. Call Abigail and provoke unnecessary trouble? Maybe it would get to nothing. Alana had dealt with suicidal and homicidal patients and most of them had abstained from it. It happened so many times it was crazy seeing this behavior in the modern society. No one was safe from depression, disgrace or murder and the innocent pays the higher price.  
But Carrie wasn't being herself. Her father was behind her actions but someone else was behind his. Who was it? That Verger?

Back to the Academy, between classes and after lunch with a very worried Beverly, she had the time to investigate this Verger. Alana knew Carrie's father was a farmer so she started with Margot Verger's inherited empire of Verger Farmers but found no Kellers. Frustrated, she waited until she was back home to investigate some more.   
There had been a scandal, Alana remembered some time later, about Margot's older brother, Mason. After found guilty of child abuse, Mason excluded himself from the public and general public, but, shortly after that, someone had attacked and disfigured Verger. Now he rotted in a Manor and small farm near Front Royal. 

Alana read through the paper and found Margot Verger's own Manor. It wasn't that far, so Alana decided she would go and ask if she remembered the Keller family. Not knowing what else to do for now, Alana turned off the lights. 

 

“Margot will receive you soon, Dr. Bloom” said Judy, Margot's mate.

She'd kindly offered a drink after a butler invited her in. Judy was an Omega Angel, kind and happy to have people around. She didn't show her wings, though

“So, what brings you here, Dr. Bloom?”

“Oh, please, just Alana. I'm not here for work. I'm gathering extra information about a patient”

“Oh, is one of our workers?” Judy asked concerned. Alana could see she genuinely worried for her people.

“No, the daughter of a farmer that worked for your mate's father and brother, later. I need to know about the father of this girl and his relationship with Mason Verger”

When Judy heard the name, she flinched and brought a hand up to her chest, looking away.

“Did I say something inappropriate?” Alana asked.

“No, she's just frightened by the memory of my brother's past abuse on us” said someone else, that turned to be Margot Verger. She was in her horse riding clothes and looker tired.

“I'm so sorry, Ms. Verger” Alana apologized, shaking the woman's hand. She was a Demon.

“No need to apologize, Dr. Bloom. And it's Margot, please” she smiled. 

“Only if you call me Alana” she offered with a smile. “Can I take a few minutes of your time, please? It's about a patient I might lose to your brother's whims, from what I've found”

Margot took a deep breath and glanced at her mate. Alana saw the silent dialogue in her eyes and knew it was a delicate matter when her brother was involved.

“I shouldn't have-”

“Nonsense! Of course we can talk about it” Margot exclaimed, then lead her to a big room that looked like a library, with a fireplace, old couches and a desk with papers and account books. Margot sat behind it and Alana and Judy took the free seats at the other side.

“What do you need to know, Alana?” asked Margot.

Margot Verger was a tall, strong woman. Her black eyes were soft but her face expressed her true emotions. Her eyes always remained calm and it almost scared her, to know she'd had to teach herself to mask her emotions.

“I have this patient, Carrie Keller, who's had a difficult time losing her sister to a serial killer. This serial killer had a daughter, who is now my protegee and my friend's new daughter. It's a bit confusing, I know... The thing is, Carrie got a phone call today. It was her father and I overheard the conversation. It was clear to me her father had sent her here to spy on her for a purpose I don't understand. Then she said something about Verger, and at first I thought it was you but there's no Keller in your workers. So, does your brother still have workers of his own?”

Margot took a few seconds to think, to let her words sink in and decide if she wanted a stranger involve herself in family business.

“When my brother got what he deserved but survived, he moved to a Manor. He took the oldest workers because he trusted them. I remember one Keller with two girls but I know nothing more. It's possible that he's still working with him” Margot confirmed. 

“Thank you so much. But I don't know if it's too much to ask Mason Verger for an interview. He'll probably ignore me until I get tired” she lamented. Anyway, Alana didn't know how far the investigation would have gone.

“Oh, but there are still some people who visit my brother. God knows why...”

“Oh, yes? Like who?”

“He has a personal nurse, our previous valet” she said, clenching her jaw, clearly angry. “But he's not available for most of the time unless my brother tells him to go outside. There are some other doctors and my old psychiatrist”

“Oh” Alana straightened her back and looked at her and saw how damaged she was inside. “A psychiatrist's opinion would be very valuable in this case”

“He's called Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He lives in Baltimore”

Alana couldn't close her mouth or articulate any word for a full minute. Why would Hannibal visit Mason Verger? If he was Margot's psychiatrist, what did he have to say to Mason?

“May I ask why?”

“I don't know, but... Dr. Lecter helped me in the past and took care of me. I still can't describe how much that man did to save my life and help me be with Judy” Margot and her mate smiled briefly to each other.

“It's strange, though” Alana mumbled. “Hannibal is the new father of the serial killer's daughter”

Margot and Judy looked at each other again and frowned. They moved uncomfortable in their chairs until Alana's thoughts calmed enough to allow her to talk.

“I can't go to him and just ask him... there must be someone who knows him enough to tell me why they-”

Alana stopped talking. Of course there was someone who knew Hannibal better than anyone. Better than himself, she could say. Dr. Neal Decroix.   
And she went to see him for some answers. 

After her meeting with Judy and Margot Verger, Alana phoned Dr. Decroix to ask for an appointment. He was free now and Alana was less than half an hour away, so she acceded to meet right away. 

 

Noah was running up the stairs to the front door, open wings behind him, as Neal followed the little boy. 

“Careful, Noah” he said, patting the boy's head. “These steps are dangerous if you don't watch where you're going”

“Sure” Noah smiled up to him and then the door opened. 

Winston and the rest of the dogs -Neal didn't know the name of half of them- came out whining and licking Noah's face and hands. The kid laughed and tried to pet them all at the same time.

Will appeared at the door, in a robe that was obviously Hannibal’s. His cheeks were flustered and his hair wet. Though not from a bath.

“Hello, Neal”

“How are you doing, Will?” Neal asked, enthusiastically. 

“Fine, I'm fine. Getting better”

“Ah, I see. Well, it's been almost five months since your last Heat and I remember you were in a very bad shape. This time will be better”

Will smiled shyly and let him in. Noah was already halfway through the first floor, running to his room to change his clothes. Neal adored that kid. He was clever, attentive and kind, very much like Will. But he liked to observe and think things through, and his gaze could make any adult look away in seconds. Those were Hannibal’s traits. Noah was also a fast learner, and liked to try new things and adapt old lessons to the new era. Noah adapted, period. He developed a sense of survival that would be necessary with the kind of family he had.

Will lead him to the kitchen and offered a tea, which Neal accepted.

“Are you still working for the FBI?” Neal asked casually. 

“Not anymore” Will answered, sighing. He sat across him and scratched his head. 

“Good. That kind of stress isn't good for you. Not now, not until you're fully recovered”

“It's been almost a year... and sometimes I get bored” he confessed.

Neal looked at Will and saw how much he needed a new goal.

“The FBI has made you a better man, am I wrong?”

“I was very young when I joined the Academy”

“And you've been serving it for a lifetime” Neal replied. “What do you want to do now?”

Will hesitated. His blue eyes were bright with enthusiasm but lacked true emotion. He was still haunted by bad memories.

“It's silly” he scoffed.

Well, that was new. 

“Nothing's silly if you put your heart into it”

Will looked up and nodded, then took a deep breath.

“I've been sketching a few things... things that I saw and heard when I was... depressed” he lowered his voice and his hands stopped moving. It was still painful to think about it. “They're dark and even disturbing. But I need them out of my head so I can move on”

“That's very good, Will” Neal encouraged him, gripping his wrist.

“I'm going to actually paint them. I don't know if I want people looking at it... you know, they're my head and it's private. But for now, just... painting them and keep them away from me...”

“I understand. Buy some canvases, paint and get one of these rooms for you. It'll help you”

Will nodded and brought him another cup of tea.

“Will, there's something I need to tell you. Both of you. It's important and a friend of yours might get some unwanted information” this time his tone was serious and Will nodded solemnly. 

“Hannibal must be-”

“I'm here, Will” Hannibal said, making them jump, startled. Neal laughed and remembered how much he hated it in the past. Hannibal was like a cat.

Hannibal kissed Will's cheek and sat by his side, holding his hand.

“How are you, my old friend?” Hannibal asked.

“Better than you, I'm sure” he joked. “Your kid progresses every day more than the last. A few more years and I won't be able to teach him anything else” he laughed but he actually meant it. “But your kid's education hasn't made me come here. Dr. Alana Bloom visited me yesterday. I didn't call you because you're not in immediate danger” this he said to Hannibal. 

“Why did Alana visited you?” he asked.

“She came asking about your relationship with Mason Verger”

Hannibal let go of Will's hand and looked like he'd seen a ghost. Neal knew why and let him go through his Mind Palace for a few seconds that, for him, seemed months. Mason Verger was alive for some mistake he'd made: Hannibal let him for dead when, actually, Verger had fought for his life when it was nearly impossible. Then his pride stood against reason and Verger was left to live and rot, thinking of his survival as a punishment. 

“Mason Verger? The uncle of that doctor?” Will asked him, but Hannibal just nodded.

“It's possible” answered Neal in Hannibal’s place. “Margot Verger and her mate have a daughter, but I don't know much more than that. The real question is... why is Alana asking about your past?”

“Carrie Keller” Hannibal answered.

“The sister of Hobbs' victim?” asked Will, alarmed “You said you solved that. Why is she still-”

“I told Mason to stop whatever he's doing but apparently he's not being cooperative”

“Urge him” Will said, and the voice he used made Neal shiver.

Will was scared for his family. He had motivation to protect them, after all they've been through. The fear was a constant breeze at the back of his neck and Neal could swear he'd been like this for years. Hannibal did that to the people close to him, and whether he realized it or not, he did not want that and tried to put them safe before it was too late. Will wouldn't leave him. It wasn't just love, it was a strong bond that survived through a terrible crisis.

“I thought I did” Hannibal admitted.

“You don't seem to be the kind of person who makes mistakes” Will bit back but regretted it the second after.

Will lowered his head and turned around, sighing deeply. Hannibal followed his movements and then looked back to Neal. He'd seen the same look centuries ago, from a lost boy with so much to do and so little to lose. Now he had everything to lose. 

“You'll find a way around this, you'll see” he patted his arm and Hannibal nodded, only slightly disappointed. “You know I can't fight your battles, my boy. I'm too old and you're not focused”

Neal lifted an eyebrow and tried to tell him to do what he did best. Hunt. Because what he was doing now was just providing for his family a 'decent meal', as he called it. There was nothing exciting about it. He had to go back to hunting worthy preys.

“Verger is a big one” Neal said, before leaving. “Don't get yourself killed”

 

Will lay on his back, unable to close his eyes and turn off his mind to sleep. Neal's visit had come with more than they could handle. He was tired of fighting, for his life and for his family. He knew Hannibal had made himself a list of enemies, some very powerful, but his mistake had been letting them live.

'When did I become like this?' he asked himself. But he had the answer too. 'When I decided to stay, after knowing what he was. Because I love danger and I hate it, but I can't live without it'

“Are you still awake?” he heard Hannibal asking.

“How could I sleep?” 

He heard him getting closer, and then his mate was crouching in front of him. He touched his cheek and gave him a reassuring smile. That wouldn't work but Will loved to see him smile.

“Let me change and I'll be with you soon” Hannibal stood up but Will caught the sleeve of his robe.

“Is Noah asleep?” Hannibal nodded and Will asked again. “Make me forget for a while?”

His mate blinked a couple of times until Will gave a nod at the bedside table direction. Then he realized and breathed in, surprised, and stammered something unintelligible that made him laugh.

Hannibal sat by his side and Will pulled himself up on his elbows.

“I love it when you laugh at my dispense” Hannibal pulled their foreheads together and they both closed their eyes. It eased Will's mind when Hannibal offered his Mind Palace to calm him down.

He brought him to a distant room, quiet, with tapestries and an old Japanese wardrobe, musical instruments and the illusion of the smell of old books. By the fireplace, they both sat, quietly listening to Vide Cor Meum while they drank wine and shut the world out for a little longer.

When they were out, it was almost three o'clock and the lights were off. 

Will was on his side, and Hannibal was looking down at him, at the other side of the bed. 

“Get your things” Hannibal said and Will got out of bed.

He felt excited. Months before the miscarriage, they used to go to Hannibal’s house every two weeks for a freeing session of trust, respect and love through sex and a different kind of routine.  
They'd talked about it and Will needed this routine back more than ever. It was something that kept him from thinking about anything else than the present; also, the intimacy and passion were never gone, he'd learned, just dormant. 

Will smiled fondly and got up and into the dresser. He found there a black box, behind Hannibal’s coats, locked and covered in a thick sheet. The box, made of steel, wasn't heavy, even less for an Angel, but Will's strength wasn't restored entirely so he carefully brought it down sliding it down the wall.   
On his knees and heels, Will rotated the numbers to unlock the box and opened it. Everything was intact.

There was a black leather collar with a silver plate, matching cuffs and a thin, black cloth -of the softest silk. Their problems could wait a few hours to enjoy these wonders.

He touched them briefly before picking the box up and bringing it to the bedroom. Hannibal was folding the bedspread, placing it at the foot of the bed; so Will put the box down on the white sheets.

Hannibal squared his shoulders, standing tall, and waited for him. He was ready.

“Well?”

Will nodded and started to take his clothes off, slowly, because that's how Hannibal liked it. He was more practical and clothes were just an obstacle. But his mate thought that revealing his skin, to him, piece by piece, was a gift. And Will liked to see how much Hannibal craved his body, to touch, to feel and to tease. 

He let the shirt fall and looked up to gaze into his lover's hungry eyes. His fingers twitched and he was starting to project his feelings. Will hated to deprive his mate of his body, so he gave Hannibal permission to come closer and finish what he'd started. Still, the Nephilim's pace was as steady and light as always. The only sign of his desperation were his maroon eyes.

Will bit his lip and put his hands at the small of his back.

Hannibal fell to one knee and, never leaving his eyes, continued to slowly undress him. And, once naked, he ordered him to kneel on the bed, legs apart and hands on his back. Will complied and balanced himself for a few more seconds, to make sure he could stand on that position for a while, and then he sat back on his heels and held his head down, submissive. 

“I'm going to put on the cuffs, then shackle your hands together, is that okay?” Hannibal whispered, right behind him. Will could feel the puffs of breath on his ear.

“Yes”

“Good”

He heard the box opening, and then the clang of metal. A hand wrapped around his wrist and then the weight of leather and metal replaced his mate's hand. The same happened to his other wrist before he locked them together, only two links in between. He tried to break free but they were secure.  
Then he felt a light kiss on the top of his head and smiled to himself. 

“Now the blindfold, Will” he said, as he placed the piece of cloth in front of his eyes.

Will leaned his head back and felt the soft cloth caressing his eyes and temples, then Hannibal tied it up and made sure it was comfortable for him. Will nodded when he tapped his shoulder and Hannibal muttered a praise. 

“Show me your wings, Will. Can you do that? For me?”

Will smiled, as he remembered the first times Hannibal asked him, almost seven years ago, and he sounded cautious. Now it felt natural to ask, almost logical. He was his mate; he loved every inch of him and, as an Omega, that made him feel proud of himself.  
They'd kept up with their grooming and his wings, displayed now, reflected the dim light, making his light brown feathers golden. They were thick but light, soft, and healthy. 

Hannibal sighed softly and caressed Will's back , from neck to curve of his ass. Close, but not near enough, Hannibal’s hand lingered right there, trying to provoke Will. But he didn't move, he wasn't going to fall for that.   
The hand left and he breathed, relieved. Then his mate's lips ghosted over his neck and the same hand was placed between his shoulder-blades and wings. The area, over-sensitive to the touch, was covered in internal glands that secreted a sleek oil under the feathers all over his wings, to groom them; but it also had an extra function as a natural lubricant. 

Hannibal pressed and kneaded slowly with a hand, while the other gripped Will's waist for balance. Will also knew he had to touch him like this, to assure him of his presence, even though Will's gift allowed him to know his mate was close. 

Will started to breathed heavily as he felt a shiver running all over his wings, as a thin sheet of oil covered his feathers. Deprived of his eyes, hands and most of his balance, he relied on Hannibal’s grasp, leaving him at his mercy. But Hannibal knew this, too, and reassured Will of his grip, squeezing gently, as his other hand caressed the scapulars and coverts of his wings to spread the oil. 

“I'm going to sit right behind you, and I want you to lean back on me and hide your wings for a few minutes. Can you do that, Will?” Hannibal asked. His hands were still while he waited for an answer.

Will swallowed and nodded, and then his mate's hands were gone. He heard how Hannibal took the rest of his clothes and then the bed sank around him. Hannibal’s knees touched his thighs and Will leaned back, his arms, shoulders and neck pressing against his mate's body.   
Will's hands brushed accidentally against his erection and he realized he was hard too. He groped his cock for a few seconds before Hannibal stopped him.

“I didn't tell you to do that” he reprimanded Will.

“I'm sorry” Will said, retrieving his hands. He tried to lower his head but Hannibal placed his arm on his chest, then took his chin and neck in hand and forced him to stay still, head leaned on his shoulder.

“Just try to be still, Will. I'm going to touch you and you can come when you feel like you need it. I'll do your wings later” 

Will nodded and relaxed, basking in the other senses he had left. He made his wings disappear so Hannibal was more comfortable against his back.   
Turning his head to one side, he managed to press his nose into Hannibal’s neck as his mate started to lower his hand down his torso, caressing his belly, hips and gripping hard his thigh before holding his cock. Will gasped but Hannibal didn't move until Will relaxed again. He could feel his insides already burning, the wetness pooling at his entrance, threatening to slip out of him.

Hannibal began to move but Will felt something was very wrong. He didn't want it gentle and slow. He felt like he was out of breath and Hannibal sensed his distress. His hands were immediately on his arm and head.

“What's wrong, Will?” he asked him, concerned. He couldn't see but he could tell.

“I... I can't. Not like this, please” he whined, whispering, because he couldn't find his voice.

“Do you want me to untie you?” he asked, a hand on the cuffs.

“No, no, no... please, don't” he was blushing but he was grateful he couldn't see. “Just fuck me”

“I need to prepare you” he laughed, amused by his eagerness.

“I'm slick enough and I need it rough. Tonight, please. For me?” Will asked, swaying his hips back, where he could feel how hard he was. “You know exactly what I want”

Hannibal moaned quietly and held Will's hips. Will wanted it rough, so rough he would have it. He pushed him down on the bed and heard Will gasping, out of breath again. With his hands still firmly tied at his back, Will was completely at his mercy. Will knew that but still trusted his mate to unleash a dark part of himself on him.

Seeing how Will was starting to try and get up, Hannibal crawled on top of him, all tense. He felt a predator in the most savage way possible. Nothing between his prey and his claws.  
When he had Will trapped against the mattress, with barely a few inches apart, he opened Will's legs with his knees. He cried out but Hannibal grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulled and then pressed him back into the pillow. Then he smelled behind his ear, the scent of arousal making him feel dizzy.

“You will end up crying for help” biting into the tender flesh of Will's skin made him thrust into his ass, not yet entering. Just giving him a taste. Will whimpered but said nothing. “Can't you feel how open and wet are you already? I haven't touched you and you're leaking for me”

Will just blushed even more and tried to close his legs, but Hannibal was already lowering himself down to taste Will's slickness. He didn't waste any second. He grabbed his buttocks and pressed his tongue into Will, who was writhing but couldn't speak.  
Hannibal aimed for the prostrate, making Will moan, but added two fingers after Will gave up on fighting. Within seconds, Will came and Hannibal pulled back.

“Please, enough...” Will cried, falling off, not even able to move a muscle. It'd been so fast and intense that his body got too tired.

Hannibal didn't answer and lined himself up and into Will's sensitive entrance. He whimpered again, feeling oversensitive. Not giving him time to adjust, Hannibal fucked him raw and hard, but delayed his own pleasure to ravish Will's pliant mouth and bruised neck. When he returned to thrust into him, he did it harder, squeezing Will's wrists or pulling at his hair. Will was his like this, when he gave him permission to release the monster in him.

When he felt his orgasm was close, he bit down on Will's abused neck and released only when his seed was deep into his mate's hot hole.

Panting, he pulled out and unclasped the cuffs, then turned Will around. He looked debauched, sated and too far gone to even think of anything else but his own sore body.  
Hannibal regretted his nature and what Will was willing to do for him. And he felt guilty for liking how Will looked like this. Sitting by his side, Hannibal removed the blindfold and collar, and then massaged his wrists until Will seemed to feel better. 

He opened his eyes and Hannibal leaned in to kiss him. He felt his arms around his back and waist, pulling him down and flush against his body. They kissed and caressed each other until Will was more asleep than awake.

Tomorrow, they would deal with Alana Bloom and Mason Verger. The monster in Hannibal was still thirsty... this time, for blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy and add a comment telling me how angry/happy you are.
> 
> This is my tumblr, by the way http://deathpoolquinn.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, you can tell me whatever kinks you want for this. I'll consider every one. You're awesome.


End file.
